Recognition of Facial Emotion Expressions and Perceptual Processes in 22q11.2 Deletion Syndrome

Overview

Journal Early Interv Psychiatry

Specialty Psychiatry

Date 2022 Mar 29

PMID 35347860

Authors

Antonino Buzzanca

Tommaso Accinni

Marianna Frascarelli

Eloisa Troisi

Georgios D Kotzalidis

Carlo Di Bonaventura

Martina Fanella

Carolina Putotto

Bruno Marino

Massimo Pasquini

Massimo Biondi

Fabio Di Fabio

Affiliations

Soon will be listed here.

Abstract

Background: Social cognition (SC) deficits and of its facial emotion expression (FEE) component have been described in 22q11.2 Deletion Syndrome (22q11.2DS), a high-risk for schizophrenia (SCZ) systemic genetic syndrome. Correlations between deficits in FEE skills and visual-spatial abilities in people with 22q11.2DS warrant investigation.

Methods: The sample consisted of 37 patients with 22q11.2DS (DEL), 19 with 22q11.2DS and psychosis (DEL-SCZ), 23 with idiopathic SCZ, and 48 healthy controls. We assessed FEE through The Ekman 60 Faces test (EK-F60), visual-spatial skills with Raven's Standard Progressive Matrices, and symptom severity with the positive And negative syndrome scale. Statistics were conducted through multivariate analysis of variance and correlation analysis.

Results: Patients with 22q11.2DS performed worse that the other groups in recognizing Surprise, Disgust, Rage, Fear, and Neutral expressions on the EK-F60. Recognition of Surprise and Disgust correlated positively with visual-spatial abilities in patients with 22q11.2DS; negative and cognitive symptoms correlated negatively with recognition of Sadness, Surprise, and Disgust.

Conclusions: Patients with 22q11.2DS show impairments of both peripheral and central steps of the emotional recognition process, leading to SC deficits. The latter are present regardless of the presence of a full-blown psychosis.

Citing Articles

Recognition of facial emotion expressions and perceptual processes in 22q11.2 deletion syndrome.

Buzzanca A, Accinni T, Frascarelli M, Troisi E, Kotzalidis G, Di Bonaventura C Early Interv Psychiatry. 2022; 17(1):76-84.

PMID: 35347860 PMC: 10078714. DOI: 10.1111/eip.13295.

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