Spontaneous facial expressivity in children with acquired brain injury.
OBJECTIVE
To investigate spontaneous facial behavior during social interaction in children with acquired brain injury (ABI), and to explore possible links between ABI, facial expressivity, and caregiver-reported social competence.


METHODS
Between-group comparisons using t tests, within-group comparisons using correlational analyses, correlational analyses of independent variables and outcome measures.


METHODS
Sixteen school-aged children with ABI and 32 normally developing children of comparable age and gender.


METHODS
Aspects of facial expressivity derived from coding scheme designed for this study.


RESULTS
Children with ABI were less expressive overall and tended to shift expressions less often than normally developing children. Several measures of expressivity were correlated with measures of social competence.


CONCLUSIONS
Brain injury inhibits production of some aspects of spontaneous facial expression. Results are suggestive of links between facial behavior and social skills.
Kupferberg
S
S
Department of Psychology, Georgia State University, Atlanta, Georgia, USA.
Morris
M K
MK
Bakeman
R
R
D000223:Adaptation, Psychological; D000293:Adolescent; D001930:Brain Injuries / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000523:psychology* / Q000534:rehabilitation; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D002648:Child; D005149:Facial Expression; D019066:Facies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D015601:Injury Severity Score; D008297:Male; D011336:Probability; D011379:Prognosis; D012016:Reference Values; D012494:Sampling Studies; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D015599:Trauma Severity Indices