title: Comparison of facial expression in patients with obsessive-compulsive disorder and schizophrenia using the Facial Action Coding System: a preliminary study.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Research shows that impairment in the expression and recognition of emotion exists in multiple psychiatric disorders. The objective of the current study was to evaluate the way that patients with schizophrenia and those with obsessive-compulsive disorder experience and display emotions in relation to specific emotional stimuli using the Facial Action Coding System (FACS).
  
  
  METHODS
  Thirty individuals participated in the study, comprising 10 patients with schizophrenia, 10 with obsessive-compulsive disorder, and 10 healthy controls. All participants underwent clinical sessions to evaluate their symptoms and watched emotion-eliciting video clips while facial activity was videotaped. Congruent/incongruent feeling of emotions and facial expression in reaction to emotions were evaluated.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Patients with schizophrenia and obsessive-compulsive disorder presented similarly incongruent emotive feelings and facial expressions (significantly worse than healthy participants). Correlations between the severity of psychopathological condition (in particular the severity of affective flattening) and impairment in recognition and expression of emotions were found.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Patients with obsessive-compulsive disorder and schizophrenia seem to present a similarly relevant impairment in both experiencing and displaying of emotions; this impairment may be seen as a chronic consequence of the same neurodevelopmental origin of the two diseases. Mimic expression could be seen as a behavioral indicator of affective flattening. The FACS could be used as an objective way to evaluate clinical evolution in patients.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical-Surgical Sciences and Biotechnologies, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome.
authors.forename: Giuseppe
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Bersani
authors.forename: Francesco Saverio
authors.initials: FS
authors.lastname: Bersani
authors.forename: Giuseppe
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Valeriani
authors.forename: Maddalena
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Robiony
authors.forename: Annalisa
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Anastasia
authors.forename: Chiara
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Colletti
authors.forename: Damien
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Liberati
authors.forename: Enrico
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Capra
authors.forename: Adele
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Quartini
authors.forename: Elisa
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Polli