Abstract
Background: Bipolar disorder is associated with functional and structural abnormalities
in the brain circuits involved in processing emotional stimuli. Although impairments
of cognitive function have been found to persist in bipolar patients during periods
of euthymic mood, it is not known whether abnormalities in emotional processing also
occur during these periods of recovery.
Methods: The present investigation assessed the ability of euthymic patients with
bipolar disorder to recognize different facial expressions of emotion, compared with
matched controls. A nonemotional facial categorization task was used to control for
possible nonspecific differences in perception or attention.
Results: In contrast to the small impairments seen in the nonemotional categorization
task, patients with bipolar disorder showed a robust facilitation in the discrimination
of disgusted facial expressions. The recognition of other basic negative and positive
emotions was unchanged.
Conclusions: The present results suggest a selective facilitation of the processes
involved in recognizing facial expressions of disgust in patients with bipolar disorder.
This difference in perception may be relevant to the decreased self-esteem and social
functioning that have been associated with the euthymic phase of this disorder.
Keywords
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Article info
Publication history
Accepted:
July 11,
2001
Received in revised form:
July 6,
2001
Received:
March 20,
2001
Identification
Copyright
© 2002 Society of Biological Psychiatry. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
