Recognition of emotional facial expressions in depressed children and adolescents

Of the neurobiological models of children's and adolescents' depression, th e neuropsychological one is considered here. Experimental and clinical evid ence has allowed us to identify a lateralization of emotional functions fro m the very beginning of development, and a right-hemisphere dominance for e motions is by now well-known. Many studies have also correlated depression with a right hemisphere dysfunction in patients of different ages. The aim of our study was to analyze recognition of different facial emotions by a g roup of depressed children and adolescents. Patients affected by Major Depr essive Disorder recognized less fear in six fundamental emotions than a gro up of healthy controls, and Dysthymic subjects recognized less anger. The g roup of patients' failure to recognize negative-aroused facial expressions could indicate a subtle right hemisphere dysfunction in depressed children and adolescents.