Major depressive disorder alters perception of emotional body movements.
Much recent research has shown an association between mood disorders and an altered emotion perception. However, these studies were conducted mainly with stimuli such as faces. This is the first study to examine possible differences in how people with major depressive disorder (MDD) and healthy controls perceive emotions expressed via body movements. Thirty patients with MDD and thirty healthy controls observed the video scenes of human interactions conveyed by point-light displays (PLDs). They rated the depicted emotions and judged their confidence in their rating. Results showed that patients with MDD rated the depicted interactions more negatively than healthy controls. They also rated interactions with negative emotionality as being more intense and were more confident in their ratings. It is concluded that patients with MDD exhibit an altered emotion perception compared to healthy controls when rating emotions expressed via body movements depicted in PLDs.
Cognitive Neuroscience Group, Center for Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Justus Liebig University Giessen , Giessen , Germany.
Morten
M
Kaletsch
Institute for Sports Science, Justus Liebig University Giessen , Giessen , Germany ; Bender Institute of Neuroimaging, Justus Liebig University Giessen , Giessen , Germany.
Sebastian
S
Pilgramm
Institute for Sports Science, Justus Liebig University Giessen , Giessen , Germany ; Bender Institute of Neuroimaging, Justus Liebig University Giessen , Giessen , Germany ; Institute for Sports Science, University of Münster , Münster , Germany.
Matthias
M
Bischoff
Institute for Sports Science, Justus Liebig University Giessen , Giessen , Germany.
Stefan
S
Kindermann
Institute for Sports Science, Justus Liebig University Giessen , Giessen , Germany.
Isabell
I
Sauerbier
Bender Institute of Neuroimaging, Justus Liebig University Giessen , Giessen , Germany.
Rudolf
R
Stark
Central Institute of Mental Health, Medical Faculty Mannheim, Heidelberg University , Mannheim , Germany.
Stefanie
S
Lis
Cognitive Neuroscience Group, Center for Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Justus Liebig University Giessen , Giessen , Germany.
Bernd
B
Gallhofer
Cognitive Neuroscience Group, Center for Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Justus Liebig University Giessen , Giessen , Germany.
Gebhard
G
Sammer
Bender Institute of Neuroimaging, Justus Liebig University Giessen , Giessen , Germany ; Institute for Sports Science, University of Münster , Münster , Germany.
Karen
K
Zentgraf
Institute for Sports Science, Justus Liebig University Giessen , Giessen , Germany.
Jörn
J
Munzert
Institute for Sports Science, Justus Liebig University Giessen , Giessen , Germany ; Bender Institute of Neuroimaging, Justus Liebig University Giessen , Giessen , Germany.
Britta
B
Lorey
body movements; embodiment; emotion perception; kinematics; major depressive disorder; point-light displays; social cognition