Article ID Journal Published Year Pages File Type
332844 Psychiatry Research 2007 10 Pages PDF
Abstract

This study investigated the ability of schizophrenia patients to volitionally display various emotional expressions. Accuracy and intensity of facial and vocal emotional expression were rated in 26 unmedicated male schizophrenia patients and 20 non-patient male controls while posing emotional facial and vocal expressions. Results indicate that schizophrenia patients, compared to non-patient controls, had deficits in their ability to portray some, but not all, emotions. Accuracy and intensity of posed facial and vocal expressions were inversely correlated with negative symptoms in the patient group. We conclude that observable flattened affect in schizophrenia during posed expression is not evident across all emotions. Furthermore, substantial disruption in the ability to portray posed emotions may be largely driven by the presence of negative symptoms.

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