Empathic deficits in schizophrenia: the potential role of rapid facial mimicry
Abstract
Emotional facial expressions evoke rapid, involuntary, and covert facial reactions in the perceiver that are consistent with the emotional valence of the observed expression. These responses are believed to be an important low-level mechanism contributing to the experience of empathy, which some have argued rely on a simulation mechanism subserved by the human mirror neuron system (MNS). Because schizophrenia is associated with pervasive social cognitive difficulties which have been linked to structural abnormalities in the MNS network, the aim of the present study was to provide the first assessment of how rapid facial mimicry reactions (within 1000 ms poststimulus onset) are affected in schizophrenia. Activity in the corrugator supercilii and zygomaticus major muscle regions was quantified using electromyography while individuals with schizophrenia (n = 25) and controls (n = 25) viewed images of happy and angry facial expressions. In contrast to controls, individuals with schizophrenia demonstrated atypical facial mimicry reactions which were not associated with any clinical features of the disorder. These data provide evidence for a low-level disruption that may be contributing to empathizing deficits in schizophrenia and are discussed in relation to neuropsychological models of empathy and schizophrenia.
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Because people with schizophrenia have varied emotion-processing difficulties, it is uncertain whether impaired imitation of emotional stimuli reflects imitation itself or other emotional processes.
“Third, because patients display a variety of problems in processing of emotions, 46 it is unclear whether a deficit in voluntary or automatic imitation of emotional stimuli 11,12,47,48 would reflect a specific impairment in imitation, or other aspects of emotion processing”
From Enhanced Automatic Action Imitation and Intact Imitation-Inhibition in Schizophrenia (2019) · cites this paper as [11]
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- Authors
- VARCIN, K. J., BAILEY, P. E., & HENRY, J. D.
- Affiliations
- UNSW Sydney (AU)
- Corresponding author
- VARCIN, KANDICE J.
- Venue
- Journal of the International Neuropsychological Society
- Publisher
- Cambridge University Press (CUP)
- Published
- 2010-04-07
- Volume
- 16
- Issue
- 4
- Pages
- 621-629
- ISSN
- 1355-6177 (ISSN-L)
- 1469-7661
- OpenAlex
- W2164284234
- Cited by
- 97
- References
- 59
- Citations by year
- 2026: 1 · 2025: 4 · 2024: 6 · 2023: 4 · 2022: 4 · 2021: 3 · 2020: 7 · 2019: 11 · 2018: 4 · 2017: 8 · 2016: 7 · 2015: 11 · 2014: 9 · 2013: 6 · 2012: 6
- FWCI
- 3.71
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Locations
- Journal of the International Neuropsychological Society (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Funders
- University of New South Wales
- Australian Research Council
- Topics
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Psychiatry and Mental health › Schizophrenia research and treatment
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Social Psychology › Action Observation and Synchronization
- Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Cognitive Neuroscience › Face Recognition and Perception
- Keywords
- schizophrenia, facial mimicry, empathy deficits, mirror neuron system, social cognition, corrugator supercilii, zygomaticus major, facial expressions, electromyography, emotional facial expressions
- MeSH terms
- Adult, Electromyography, Empathy, Facial Expression, Facial Muscles, Female, Humans, Male, Middle Aged, Neuropsychological Tests, Personality Disorders, Photic Stimulation, Schizophrenia, Statistics as Topic, Case-Control Studies
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