Facial fear processing and psychotic symptoms in schizophrenia: functional magnetic resonance imaging study

Panagiota Michalopoulou; Simon Surguladze; Lucy A. Morley; Vincent Giampietro; Robin M. Murray; Sukhwinder S. Shergill

doi:10.1192/bjp.bp.106.032649

Facial fear processing and psychotic symptoms in schizophrenia: functional magnetic resonance imaging study

Panagiota Michalopoulou, Simon Surguladze, Lucy A. Morley, Vincent Giampietro, Robin M. Murray, Sukhwinder S. Shergill

King's College London

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

48 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

Background

The recognition of negative facial affect is impaired in people with schizophrenia. The neural underpinnings of this deficit and its relationship to the symptoms of psychosis are still unclear.

Aims

To examine the association between positive and negative psychotic symptoms and activation within the annygdala and extrastriate visual regions of patients with schizophrenia during fearful and neutral facial expression processing.

Method

Functional magnetic resonance imaging was used to measure neural responses to neutral and fearful facial expressions in 11 patients with schizophrenia and 9 healthy volunteers during an implicit emotional task.

Results

No association between amygdala activation and positive symptoms was found; the activation within the left superior temporal gyrus was negatively associated with the negative symptoms of the patients.

Conclusions

Our results indicate an association between impaired extrastriate visual processing of facial fear and negative symptoms, which may underlie the previously reported difficulties of patients with negative symptoms in the recognition of facial fear.

Declaration of interest

None.

Original language	English
Pages (from-to)	191-196
Number of pages	6
Journal	British Journal of Psychiatry
Volume	192
Issue number	3
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1192/bjp.bp.106.032649
Publication status	Published - Mar 2008

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title = "Facial fear processing and psychotic symptoms in schizophrenia: functional magnetic resonance imaging study",

abstract = "BackgroundThe recognition of negative facial affect is impaired in people with schizophrenia. The neural underpinnings of this deficit and its relationship to the symptoms of psychosis are still unclear.AimsTo examine the association between positive and negative psychotic symptoms and activation within the annygdala and extrastriate visual regions of patients with schizophrenia during fearful and neutral facial expression processing.MethodFunctional magnetic resonance imaging was used to measure neural responses to neutral and fearful facial expressions in 11 patients with schizophrenia and 9 healthy volunteers during an implicit emotional task.ResultsNo association between amygdala activation and positive symptoms was found; the activation within the left superior temporal gyrus was negatively associated with the negative symptoms of the patients.ConclusionsOur results indicate an association between impaired extrastriate visual processing of facial fear and negative symptoms, which may underlie the previously reported difficulties of patients with negative symptoms in the recognition of facial fear.Declaration of interestNone.",

author = "Panagiota Michalopoulou and Simon Surguladze and Morley, {Lucy A.} and Vincent Giampietro and Murray, {Robin M.} and Shergill, {Sukhwinder S.}",

year = "2008",

month = mar,

doi = "10.1192/bjp.bp.106.032649",

language = "English",

volume = "192",

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T1 - Facial fear processing and psychotic symptoms in schizophrenia: functional magnetic resonance imaging study

AU - Michalopoulou, Panagiota

AU - Surguladze, Simon

AU - Morley, Lucy A.

AU - Giampietro, Vincent

AU - Murray, Robin M.

AU - Shergill, Sukhwinder S.

PY - 2008/3

Y1 - 2008/3

N2 - BackgroundThe recognition of negative facial affect is impaired in people with schizophrenia. The neural underpinnings of this deficit and its relationship to the symptoms of psychosis are still unclear.AimsTo examine the association between positive and negative psychotic symptoms and activation within the annygdala and extrastriate visual regions of patients with schizophrenia during fearful and neutral facial expression processing.MethodFunctional magnetic resonance imaging was used to measure neural responses to neutral and fearful facial expressions in 11 patients with schizophrenia and 9 healthy volunteers during an implicit emotional task.ResultsNo association between amygdala activation and positive symptoms was found; the activation within the left superior temporal gyrus was negatively associated with the negative symptoms of the patients.ConclusionsOur results indicate an association between impaired extrastriate visual processing of facial fear and negative symptoms, which may underlie the previously reported difficulties of patients with negative symptoms in the recognition of facial fear.Declaration of interestNone.

AB - BackgroundThe recognition of negative facial affect is impaired in people with schizophrenia. The neural underpinnings of this deficit and its relationship to the symptoms of psychosis are still unclear.AimsTo examine the association between positive and negative psychotic symptoms and activation within the annygdala and extrastriate visual regions of patients with schizophrenia during fearful and neutral facial expression processing.MethodFunctional magnetic resonance imaging was used to measure neural responses to neutral and fearful facial expressions in 11 patients with schizophrenia and 9 healthy volunteers during an implicit emotional task.ResultsNo association between amygdala activation and positive symptoms was found; the activation within the left superior temporal gyrus was negatively associated with the negative symptoms of the patients.ConclusionsOur results indicate an association between impaired extrastriate visual processing of facial fear and negative symptoms, which may underlie the previously reported difficulties of patients with negative symptoms in the recognition of facial fear.Declaration of interestNone.

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DO - 10.1192/bjp.bp.106.032649

M3 - Article

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JO - British Journal of Psychiatry

JF - British Journal of Psychiatry

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Facial fear processing and psychotic symptoms in schizophrenia: functional magnetic resonance imaging study

Abstract

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