title: Emotional memory and perception of emotional faces in patients suffering from depersonalization disorder.
abstract: Previous work has shown that patients with depersonalization disorder (DPD) have reduced physiological responses to emotional stimuli, which may be related to subjective emotional numbing. This study investigated two aspects of affective processing in 13 patients with DPD according to the DSM-IV criteria and healthy controls: the perception of emotional facial expressions (anger, disgust, fear, happiness, sadness, and surprise) and memory for emotional stimuli. Results revealed a specific lack of sensitivity to facial expression of anger in patients, but normal enhancement of memory for peripheral aspects of arousing emotional material. The results are consistent with altered processing of threat-related stimuli but intact consolidation processes, at least when the stimuli involved are potently arousing.
authors: Utrecht University, The Netherlands. B.Montagne@psy.umcn.nl
authors: Barbara
authors: B
authors: Montagne
authors: Mauricio
authors: M
authors: Sierra
authors: Nick
authors: N
authors: Medford
authors: Elaine
authors: E
authors: Hunter
authors: Dawn
authors: D
authors: Baker
authors: Roy P C
authors: RP
authors: Kessels
authors: Edward H F
authors: EH
authors: de Haan
authors: Anthony S
authors: AS
authors: David
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001143:Arousal; D003071:Cognition; D003861:Depersonalization / Q000150:complications / Q000523:psychology*; D003866:Depressive Disorder / Q000150:complications / Q000523:psychology; D004644:Emotions; D005149:Facial Expression; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007361:Intelligence Tests / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D008297:Male; D008568:Memory; D009483:Neuropsychological Tests / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D011569:Psychiatric Status Rating Scales; D021641:Recognition, Psychology; D013647:Task Performance and Analysis; D014796:Visual Perception