A COMPARATIVE STUDY OF RECOGNITION OF FACIAL EXPRESSION IN PATIENTS WITH BIPOLAR AFFECTIVE DISORDER

Abstract

 Background: Patients diagnosed with Bipolar Affective Disorder (BPAD), by definition, have problems with emotional regulation. However, it remains uncertain whether these patients are also deficient at processing other peoples emotions, particularly while in active pathology. There is a few study which addressed recognition of facial expression between mania, depression and normal control group simultaneously.

Objective: The prime objective of present study was designed to compare the recognition of facial expression ability in patients with mania, depression and normal control group.

Methods: Sensitivity to ten different facial expressions, as well as accuracy of emotion recognition, was examined among 3 groups formed that is 30 patients with BPAD having current episode mania, 30 patients with BPAD having current episode depression and 30 normal controls on tasks of recognition of facial expressions at two different methods of decoding ability: Free response format and Fixed response format.

Results: No differences were found between manic bipolar patients and depressive bipolar patients. In contrast, the bipolar group performed significantly more poorly than did the normal controls. Furthermore no difference were found in different levels of severity in patients with mania and depression. It was also found patients with depression took more time in recognition of facial expression. No genderwise differences were found among patients with mania, depressioon and normal control group.

Conclusions: It suggest that affective biases congruent with current mood were found in manic and depressive patients. Affective recognition deficits in bipolar disorder might be related to an inability to recognize and resolve many interpersonal issues. Deficits in social perception are important predictors of inadequate social functioning.