PERCEPTION OF FACIAL EMOTION IN SCHIZOPHRENIC AND RIGHT BRAIN-DAMAGEDPATIENTS

Deficits in the perception of facial emotion have been demonstrated in patients with right-sided brain damage (RBD) and schizophrenia (SZ). Furthermore, recent speculations have implicated right-hemisphere dysf unction in Type II schizophrenics, especially those with a preponderan ce of ''negative symptoms'' and flat affect. The performance of SZ, RB D, and normal control subjects was compared on measures assessing faci al emotional perception. Both identification and discrimination paradi gms were used, with positive/pleasant and negative/unpleasant emotions . To examine the effects of visuospatial and facial processing on faci al emotion tasks, the Visual Matrices Test and the Benton Facial Recog nition Test were administered. On both facial emotion tests, SZ and RB D patients were significantly impaired relative to normal subjects, bu t not different from each other. The SZ and RBD patients were also imp aired on the matrices and facial recognition tests. When the effects o f the matrices and neutral face recognition tests were statistically c ontrolled, significant group differences remained for the identificati on task but not for the discrimination task. Thus, methodologies are p resented for the neuropsychological study of facial emotional percepti on, and some support is provided for the notion that negative-symptom schizophrenia is associated with right hemisphere dysfunction.