title: Deficits in recognition, identification, and discrimination of facial emotions in patients with bipolar disorder.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To analyze the recognition, identification, and discrimination of facial emotions in a sample of outpatients with bipolar disorder (BD).
  
  
  METHODS
  Forty-four outpatients with diagnosis of BD and 48 matched control subjects were selected. Both groups were assessed with tests for recognition (Emotion Recognition-40 - ER40), identification (Facial Emotion Identification Test - FEIT), and discrimination (Facial Emotion Discrimination Test - FEDT) of facial emotions, as well as a theory of mind (ToM) verbal test (Hinting Task). Differences between groups were analyzed, controlling the influence of mild depressive and manic symptoms.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Patients with BD scored significantly lower than controls on recognition (ER40), identification (FEIT), and discrimination (FEDT) of emotions. Regarding the verbal measure of ToM, a lower score was also observed in patients compared to controls. Patients with mild syndromal depressive symptoms obtained outcomes similar to patients in euthymia. A significant correlation between FEDT scores and global functioning (measured by the Functioning Assessment Short Test, FAST) was found.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  These results suggest that, even in euthymia, patients with BD experience deficits in recognition, identification, and discrimination of facial emotions, with potential functional implications.
authors.affiliation: Psychiatry Department, Hospital Provincial de Toledo, Toledo, Spain.
authors.forename: Adolfo
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Benito
authors.affiliation: Psychiatry Department, Universidad de Alcalá, Madrid, Spain.
authors.forename: Guillermo
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Lahera
authors.affiliation: Hospital Universitario Príncipe de Asturias, Universidad de Alcalá, Madrid, Spain.
authors.forename: Sara
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Herrera
authors.affiliation: Hospital Universitario Príncipe de Asturias, Universidad de Alcalá, Madrid, Spain.
authors.forename: Ramón
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Muncharaz
authors.affiliation: Spanish Association of Neuropsychiatry, Spanish Association of NeuropsychiatrySpain, Spain.
authors.forename: Guillermo
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Benito
authors.affiliation: Hospital Universitario Príncipe de Asturias, Universidad de Alcalá, Madrid, Spain.
authors.forename: Alberto
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Fernández-Liria
authors.affiliation: Hospital del Sureste, ArgandaMadrid, Spain.
authors.forename: José Manuel
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Montes
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001714:Bipolar Disorder / Q000523:psychology*; D004522:Educational Status; D019260:Expressed Emotion; D005149:Facial Expression; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D021641:Recognition, Psychology