Common and unique impairments in facial-expression recognition in pervasive developmental disorder-not otherwise specified and Asperger's disorder

This study was designed to identify specific difficulties and associated features related to the problems with social interaction experienced by individuals with pervasive developmental disorder-not otherwise specified (PDD-NOS) using an emotion-recognition task. We compared individuals with PDD-NOS or Asperger's disorder (ASP) and typically developing individuals in terms of their ability to recognize facial expressions conveying the six basic emotions. Individuals with PDD-NOS and ASP were worse at recognizing fearful faces than were controls. Individuals with PDD-NOS were less accurate in recognizing disgusted faces than were those with ASP. The results suggest that PDD subtypes are characterized by shared and unique impairments in the ability to recognize facial expressions. Furthermore, the ability to recognize fearful but not disgusted expressions was negatively correlated with the severity of social dysfunction in PDD-NOS and ASP. The results suggest that impaired recognition of fearful and disgusted faces may reflect the severity of social dysfunction across PDD subtypes and the specific problems associated with PDD-NOS, respectively. Characteristics associated with different levels of symptom severity in PDD-NOS are discussed in terms of similarities with brain damage and other psychiatric disorders

Exaggerated perception of facial expressions is increased in individuals with schizotypal traits.

Emotional facial expressions are indispensable communicative tools, and social interactions involving facial expressions are impaired in some psychiatric disorders. Recent studies revealed that the perception of dynamic facial expressions was exaggerated in normal participants, and this exaggerated perception is weakened in autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Based on the notion that ASD and schizophrenia spectrum disorder are at two extremes of the continuum with respect to social impairment, we hypothesized that schizophrenic characteristics would strengthen the exaggerated perception of dynamic facial expressions. To test this hypothesis, we investigated the relationship between the perception of facial expressions and schizotypal traits in a normal population. We presented dynamic and static facial expressions, and asked participants to change an emotional face display to match the perceived final image. The presence of schizotypal traits was positively correlated with the degree of exaggeration for dynamic, as well as static, facial expressions. Among its subscales, the paranoia trait was positively correlated with the exaggerated perception of facial expressions. These results suggest that schizotypal traits, specifically the tendency to over-attribute mental states to others, exaggerate the perception of emotional facial expressions

Reduced representational momentum for subtle dynamic facial expressions in individuals with autism spectrum disorders

The cognitive mechanisms underlying social communication via emotional facial expressions are crucial for understanding the social impairments experienced by people with autism spectrum disorders (ASD). A recent study (Yoshikawa & Sato, 2008) found that typically developing individuals perceived the last image from a dynamic facial expression to be more emotionally exaggerated than a static facial expression; this perceptual difference is termed representational momentum (RM) for dynamic facial expressions. RM for dynamic facial expressions might be useful for detecting emotion in another's face and for predicting behavior changes. We examined RM for dynamic facial expressions using facial expression stimuli at three levels of emotional intensity (subtle, medium, and extreme) in people with ASD. We predicted that individuals with ASD would show reduced RM for dynamic facial expressions. Eleven individuals with ASD (three with Asperger's disorder and eight with pervasive developmental disorder not otherwise specified) and 11 IQ-, age- and gender-matched typically developing controls participated in this study. Participants were asked to select an image that matched the final image from dynamic and static facial expressions. Our results revealed that subjectively perceived images were more exaggerated for the dynamic than for the static presentation under all levels of intensity and in both groups. The ASD group, however, perceived a reduced degree of exaggeration for dynamic facial expressions under the subtle intensity condition. As facial expressions are often displayed subtly in daily communications, reduced RM for subtle dynamic facial expressions may prevent individuals with ASD from appropriately interacting with other people as a consequence of their difficulty detecting others’ emotions

Enhanced subliminal emotional responses to dynamic facial expressions

Emotional processing without conscious awareness plays an important role in human social interaction. Several behavioral studies reported that subliminal presentation of photographs of emotional facial expressions induces unconscious emotional processing. However, it was difficult to elicit strong and robust effects using this method. We hypothesized that dynamic presentations of facial expressions would enhance subliminal emotional effects and tested this hypothesis with two experiments. Fearful or happy facial expressions were presented dynamically or statically in either the left or the right visual field for 20 (Experiment 1) and 30 (Experiment 2) ms. Nonsense target ideographs were then presented, and participants reported their preference for them. The results consistently showed that dynamic presentations of emotional facial expressions induced more evident emotional biases toward subsequent targets than did static ones. These results indicate that dynamic presentations of emotional facial expressions induce more evident unconscious emotional processing

A Comparative Study on Fatigue Damage using a Wave Load Sequence Model

Despite that ships get the approval of classification societies and structural members are designed to survive random environmental conditions for twenty or twenty-five years, fatigue crack damage still occurs. Nowadays, the operation based on weather routing programs has become important, not only to avoid adverse sea conditions that can cause damage, time loss or significant speed reduction but also to improve the crew safety. In this paper, S-N based fatigue assessment of a welded joint in an ocean going is performed. It is assumed that the ship sails following a planned route and a route based on weather conditions. Short sea sequences are generated by a storm model called “4G Storm Model”, proposed by one of the co-authors (De Gracia et al., 2017). Stress histories are generated considering the stochastical nature of the wave direction variation. Cumulative fatigue damage is performed following a classification society rule. Based on these results, the effect of ship routing and headings model on the S-N fatigue assessment is discussed. Keywords: Weather routing, fatigue, cumulative damage, storm model, wave sequence model

Changes in Electroencephalography and Cardiac Autonomic Function During Craft Activities: Experimental Evidence for the Effectiveness of Occupational Therapy

Occupational therapy often uses craft activities as therapeutic tools, but their therapeutic effectiveness has not yet been adequately demonstrated. The aim of this study was to examine changes in frontal midline theta rhythm (Fmθ) and autonomic nervous responses during craft activities, and to explore the physiological mechanisms underlying the therapeutic effectiveness of occupational therapy. To achieve this, we employed a simple craft activity as a task to induce Fmθ and performed simultaneous EEG and ECG recordings. For participants in which Fmθ activities were provoked, parasympathetic and sympathetic activities were evaluated during the appearance of Fmθ and rest periods using the Lorenz plot analysis. Both parasympathetic and sympathetic indices increased with the appearance of Fmθ compared to during resting periods. This suggests that a relaxed-concentration state is achieved by concentrating on craft activities. Furthermore, the appearance of Fmθ positively correlated with parasympathetic activity, and theta band activity in the frontal area were associated with sympathetic activity. This suggests that there is a close relationship between cardiac autonomic function and Fmθ activity

The Study of International Cultural Relations of Postwar Japan

The paper examines policies and activities of cultural exchange carried out by Japanese national, local and private agents since the end of WWII. Methodologically, we distinctively use the notion culture as a tool and as an object of study, and to synthesize the two in full intention, based on the debate among IR students about so called Cultural Turn in IR theories. As case studies, the Japanese experiences are examined from two points. Firstly, it is compared with the German experiences in Europe, with special attention to the construction of national identity.In both countries, the peoples tried to make use of cultural exchange activities in the management of international relations. The actual developments of cultural relations by the two countries, however, were in striking contrast to each other. Secondly, our study focuses on the explosive expansion of private sector\u27s international cultural exchange in the 1980s in association with so called "emerging civil society" phenomenon observed worldwide throughout 1970s and 1980s. By using our original approach mentioned in the Chapter 1, the paper tries to sketch out that the increase of the private organizations is largely the response of the Japanese society to outside influences, not something genuinely outgrown from within the society itself due to mainly domestic causes

Misrecognition of facial expressions in delinquents

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Previous reports have suggested impairment in facial expression recognition in delinquents, but controversy remains with respect to how such recognition is impaired. To address this issue, we investigated facial expression recognition in delinquents in detail.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>We tested 24 male adolescent/young adult delinquents incarcerated in correctional facilities. We compared their performances with those of 24 age- and gender-matched control participants. Using standard photographs of facial expressions illustrating six basic emotions, participants matched each emotional facial expression with an appropriate verbal label.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Delinquents were less accurate in the recognition of facial expressions that conveyed disgust than were control participants. The delinquents misrecognized the facial expressions of disgust as anger more frequently than did controls.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>These results suggest that one of the underpinnings of delinquency might be impaired recognition of emotional facial expressions, with a specific bias toward interpreting disgusted expressions as hostile angry expressions.</p