title: Perceived eye region and the processing of fearful expressions in mild cognitive impairment patients.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The aim of the present study was to assess the possibility of compensating early facial expression recognition impairments in amnestic Mild Cognitive Impairment (a-MCI) patients.
  
  
  METHODS
  Twelve patients with a-MCI and 17 healthy participants matched according to age and education participated in the study. The originality of the present study was to cue the recognition of facial expressions (happiness, anger, fear, and neutral) by comparing eye region expressions and entire facial expressions.
  
  
  RESULTS
  A deficit in the recognition of fearful expressions was observed in a-MCI patients relative to the control group, whereas recognition of all the other emotional expressions was spared. Nevertheless, when eye expressions cued the recognition of fearful facial expressions, the performance of normal controls and a-MCI patients was comparable.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The present paper indicates a selective impairment in fear recognition in the prodromal state of Alzheimer's disease, and the possibility of compensating this deficit by orienting selective attention on specific facial features.
authors.affiliation: Unit of Neuropsychology, Department of Neurology, CHU Nord, Saint-Etienne, France. aurel.richard @ gmail.com
authors.forename: Aurélie
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Richard-Mornas
authors.forename: Céline
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Borg
authors.forename: Yanica
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Klein-Koerkamp
authors.forename: Adeline
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Paignon
authors.forename: Pascal
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Hot
authors.forename: Catherine
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Thomas-Antérion
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D000786:Anger / Q000502:physiology; D060825:Cognitive Dysfunction / Q000523:psychology*; D003627:Data Interpretation, Statistical; D004644:Emotions; D005123:Eye; D005149:Facial Expression; D005239:Fear; D005260:Female; D006240:Happiness; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009483:Neuropsychological Tests; D021641:Recognition, Psychology / Q000502:physiology; D012938:Social Perception