Facial and autonomic activity in depression: social context differences during imagery.
Previous research indicates that depressed patients show reduced facial expression as well as a lack of social context differences in frowning in response to sad imagery. The present study examined social context differences in facial electromyogram (EMG), self-reported emotion, skin conductance level and heart rate in 21 depressed and 22 non-depressed women assessed by the Beck Depression Inventory. Subjects were asked to imagine happy and sad situations both with and without visualizing other people. Depressed subjects showed a lack of social context differences in EMG-brow activity during sad imagery while heart rate was increased during sad-social compared to sad-solitary imagery. In contrast, non-depressed subjects showed increased EMG-brow activity during sad-social compared to sad-solitary imagery but no social context differences in heart rate. EMG-cheek activity and heart rate were increased during happy-social compared to happy-solitary imagery in depressed and non-depressed subjects. Skin conductance level was reduced in depressed compared to non-depressed subjects during baseline but failed to respond to imagery. Social context differences in heart rate and a lack thereof of frowning during sad imagery may indicate an altered psychosocial functioning in depression.
Department of Psychology and Social Behavior, University of California, Irvine, 334 Social Ecology II, Irvine, CA 92697, USA. jgehrick@uci.edu
J G
JG
Gehricke
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D
Shapiro
D000328:Adult; D001341:Autonomic Nervous System / Q000503:physiopathology*; D003866:Depressive Disorder / Q000503:physiopathology* / Q000523:psychology*; D004562:Electrocardiography; D004576:Electromyography; D004644:Emotions / Q000502:physiology; D005138:Eyebrows / Q000502:physiology; D005152:Facial Muscles / Q000503:physiopathology*; D005260:Female; D005712:Galvanic Skin Response / Q000502:physiology; D006339:Heart Rate / Q000502:physiology; D006801:Humans; D007092:Imagination / Q000502:physiology*; D012931:Social Environment