Relationship between severity of hypomimia and basic emotion recognition in Parkinson's disease
*Correspondencia: Dra. Florencia Cossini. Consultorio de Memoria. Servicio de Neurología. Hospital Interzonal de Agudos Eva Perón. Av 101 Doctor Ricardo Balbín, 3200. San Martin, Buenos Aires, Argentina (C.P.: B1650NBN). E-mail: florenciacossini@gmail.com
Introduction
Parkinson’s disease is characterised by the presence of motor symptoms including hypomimia, and by non-motor symptoms including alterations in facial recognition of basic emotions. Few studies have investigated this alteration and its relationship to the severity of hypomimia.
Objective
The objective is to study the relationship between hypomimia and the facial recognition of basic emotions in subjects with Parkinson’s disease.
Subjects and methods
Twenty-three patients and 29 controls were evaluated with the test battery for basic emotion facial recognition. The patients were divided into two subgroups according to the intensity of their hypomimia.
Results
The comparison in battery test performance between the minimal/mild hypomimia and moderate/severe hypomimia groups was statistically significant in favour of the former group.
Conclusions
This finding shows a close relationship between expression and facial recognition of emotions, which could be explained through the mechanism of motor simulation.
Objetivo El objetivo es estudiar la relación entre la hipomimia y el reconocimiento facial de emociones básicas en sujetos con enfermedad de Parkinson.
Sujetos y métodos Se evaluó a 23 pacientes y 29 controles con la batería de reconocimiento facial de emociones básicas. El grupo de pacientes se dividió en dos subgrupos según la intensidad de la hipomimia.
Resultados La comparación en el rendimiento de las pruebas de la batería entre el grupo de hipomimia mínima/leve e hipomimia moderada/grave resultó estadísticamente significativa a favor del primer grupo.
Conclusiones Este hallazgo evidencia una estrecha relación entre la expresión y el reconocimiento facial de emociones, que podría explicarse a través del mecanismo de simulación motora.
