title: [Recognition of facial expression of emotions in Parkinson's disease: a theoretical review].
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Emotional facial expression is a basic guide during social interaction and, therefore, alterations in their expression or recognition are important limitations for communication.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To examine facial expression recognition abilities and their possible impairment in Parkinson's disease.
  
  
  METHODS
  First, we review the studies on this topic which have not found entirely similar results. Second, we analyze the factors that may explain these discrepancies and, in particular, as third objective, we consider the relationship between emotional recognition problems and cognitive impairment associated with the disease. Finally, we propose alternatives strategies for the development of studies that could clarify the state of these abilities in Parkinson's disease.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Most studies suggest deficits in facial expression recognition, especially in those with negative emotional content. However, it is possible that these alterations are related to those that also appear in the course of the disease in other perceptual and executive processes. To advance in this issue, we consider necessary to design emotional recognition studies implicating differentially the executive or visuospatial processes, and/or contrasting cognitive abilities with facial expressions and non emotional stimuli. The precision of the status of these abilities, as well as increase our knowledge of the functional consequences of the characteristic brain damage in the disease, may indicate if we should pay special attention in their rehabilitation inside the programs implemented.
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Psicología, Biológica y de la Salud, Facultad de Psicología, Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, España. laura.alonso@uam.es
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Alonso-Recio
authors.forename: J M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Serrano-Rodriguez
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Carvajal-Molina
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Loeches-Alonso
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Martin-Plasencia
mesh_terms: D004644:Emotions; D005149:Facial Expression; D006801:Humans; D010300:Parkinson Disease / Q000503:physiopathology* / Q000523:psychology*