title: Emotional Processing, Recognition, Empathy and Evoked Facial Expression in Eating Disorders: An Experimental Study to Map Deficits in Social Cognition.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Difficulties in social cognition have been identified in eating disorders (EDs), but the exact profile of these abnormalities is unclear. The aim of this study is to examine distinct processes of social-cognition in this patient group, including attentional processing and recognition, empathic reaction and evoked facial expression in response to discrete vignettes of others displaying positive (i.e. happiness) or negative (i.e. sadness and anger) emotions.
  
  
  METHODS
  One hundred and thirty-eight female participants were included in the study: 73 healthy controls (HCs) and 65 individuals with an ED (49 with Anorexia Nervosa and 16 with Bulimia Nervosa). Self-report and behavioural measures were used.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Participants with EDs did not display specific abnormalities in emotional processing, recognition and empathic response to others' basic discrete emotions. However, they had poorer facial expressivity and a tendency to turn away from emotional displays.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Treatments focusing on the development of non-verbal emotional communication skills might be of benefit for patients with EDs.
authors.affiliation: Section of Eating Disorders, Psychological Medicine, King's College London, Institute of Psychiatry, London, United Kingdom.
authors.forename: Valentina
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Cardi
authors.affiliation: Section of Eating Disorders, Psychological Medicine, King's College London, Institute of Psychiatry, London, United Kingdom.
authors.forename: Freya
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Corfield
authors.affiliation: Section of Eating Disorders, Psychological Medicine, King's College London, Institute of Psychiatry, London, United Kingdom.
authors.forename: Jenni
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Leppanen
authors.affiliation: Section of Eating Disorders, Psychological Medicine, King's College London, Institute of Psychiatry, London, United Kingdom.
authors.forename: Charlotte
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Rhind
authors.affiliation: Section of Eating Disorders, Psychological Medicine, King's College London, Institute of Psychiatry, London, United Kingdom.
authors.forename: Stephanie
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Deriziotis
authors.affiliation: Section of Eating Disorders, Psychological Medicine, King's College London, Institute of Psychiatry, London, United Kingdom.
authors.forename: Alexandra
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Hadjimichalis
authors.affiliation: Section of Eating Disorders, Psychological Medicine, King's College London, Institute of Psychiatry, London, United Kingdom.
authors.forename: Rebecca
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Hibbs
authors.affiliation: Behavioural and Brain Sciences Unit, Institute of Child Health, University College London, London, United Kingdom.
authors.forename: Nadia
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Micali
authors.affiliation: Section of Eating Disorders, Psychological Medicine, King's College London, Institute of Psychiatry, London, United Kingdom.
authors.forename: Janet
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Treasure
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000856:Anorexia Nervosa / Q000523:psychology*; D001288:Attention; D052018:Bulimia Nervosa / Q000523:psychology*; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D003071:Cognition; D003710:Demography; D003863:Depression / Q000523:psychology; D004644:Emotions; D004645:Empathy; D005149:Facial Expression; D005260:Female; D006240:Happiness; D006801:Humans; D021641:Recognition, Psychology; D012919:Social Behavior; D013647:Task Performance and Analysis; D055815:Young Adult