title: Recognition of facial emotional expression in amnestic mild cognitive impairment.
abstract: We examined whether recognition of facial emotional expression would be affected in amnestic mild cognitive impairment (aMCI). A total of 50 elderly persons met the initial inclusion criteria; 10 were subsequently excluded (Geriatric Depression Score > 5). 22 subjects were classified with aMCI based on published criteria (single domain aMCI [SD-aMCI], n = 10; multiple domain aMCI [MD-aMCI], n = 12); 18 subjects were cognitively normal. All underwent standard neurological and neuropsychological evaluations as well as tests of facial emotion recognition (FER) and famous faces identification (FFI). Among normal controls, FFI was negatively correlated with Mini-Mental Status Examination scores and positively correlated with executive function. Among patients with aMCI, FER was correlated with attention/speed of processing. No other correlations were significant. In a multinomial logistic regression model adjusted for age, gender, and education, a poorer score on FER, but not on FFI, was associated with greater odds of being classified as MD-aMCI (odds ratio [OR], 3.82; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.05-13.91; p = 0.042). This association was not explained by memory or global cognitive score. There was no association between FER or FFI and SD-aMCI (OR, 1.13; 95% CI, 0.36-3.57; p = 0.836). Therefore, FER, but not FFI, may be impaired in MD-aMCI. This implies that in MD-aMCI, the tasks of FER and FFI may involve segregated neurocognitive networks.
authors.affiliation: Memory Disorders Clinic, Department of Neurology, Charles University in Prague, 2nd Faculty of Medicine and University Hospital Motol, Prague, Czech Republic.
authors.forename: Alexandra
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Varjassyová
authors.forename: Daniel
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Hořínek
authors.forename: Ross
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Andel
authors.forename: Jana
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Amlerova
authors.forename: Jan
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Laczó
authors.forename: Kateřina
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Sheardová
authors.forename: Hana
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Magerová
authors.forename: Iva
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Holmerová
authors.forename: Martin
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Vyhnálek
authors.forename: Ondřej
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Bradáč
authors.forename: Yonas E
authors.initials: YE
authors.lastname: Geda
authors.forename: Jakub
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Hort
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000647:Amnesia / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000523:psychology*; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D060825:Cognitive Dysfunction / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000523:psychology*; D004644:Emotions / Q000502:physiology; D005149:Facial Expression; D005197:Famous Persons; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010775:Photic Stimulation / Q000379:methods; D021641:Recognition, Psychology / Q000502:physiology