title: Recognition of emotional facial expressions in depressed children and adolescents.
abstract: Of the neurobiological models of children's and adolescents' depression, the neuropsychological one is considered here. Experimental and clinical evidence has allowed us to identify a lateralization of emotional functions from the very beginning of development, and a right hemisphere dominance for emotions is by now well-known. Many studies have also correlated depression with a right hemisphere dysfunction in patients of different ages. The aim of our study was to analyze recognition of different facial emotions by a group of depressed children and adolescents. Patients affected by Major Depressive Disorder recognized less fear in six fundamental emotions than a group of healthy controls, and Dysthymic subjects recognized less anger. The group of patients' failure to recognize negative-aroused facial expressions could indicate a subtle right hemisphere dysfunction in depressed children and adolescents.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, Surgery and Dentistry, University of Milan, Italy.
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Lenti
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Giacobbe
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Pegna
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000367:Age Factors; D000786:Anger; D001921:Brain / Q000503:physiopathology*; D002648:Child; D003866:Depressive Disorder / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000503:physiopathology; D004644:Emotions; D005149:Facial Expression; D005239:Fear; D005260:Female; D007839:Functional Laterality / Q000502:physiology*; D006801:Humans; D007361:Intelligence Tests / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D008297:Male; D009483:Neuropsychological Tests / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D014796:Visual Perception / Q000502:physiology*