Facial expressions recognition and discrimination in Parkinson’s disease

Emotion processing impairment is a common non-motor symptom in Parkinson’s Disease (PD). Previous literature reported conflflicting results concerning, in particular, the performance for different emotions, the relation with cognitive and neuropsychiatric symptoms and the affected stage of processing. This study aims at assessing emotion recognition and discrimination in PD. Recognition of six facial expressions was studied in order to clarify its relationship with motor, cognitive and neuropsychiatric symptoms. Sensitivity in discriminating happy and fearful faces was investigated to address controversial fifindings on impairment in early stages of emotion processing.