Objective: Studying the impact of non-pathological cerebral ageing on psychic integration of facial emotion perception (PIFEP).
Design: Comparing in a metric way, using the M.A.R.I.E. software, PIFEB displayed by a population made of young subjects and a population of elderly subjects.
Materials and Methods: M.A.R.I.E. (see references) is a computer software tool which metrically records and mathematically models the PIFEB . Morphing, which allows to go from picture “A” to picture “B”, is the basic principle used by M.A.R.I.E. 3 different faces are displayed. A population made of 30 young subjects (YS) (15 men and 15 women) (age 23.5 +/-3) ; education level +3+/- 1.8. A population made of 30 elderly subjects (ES) (15 men and 15 women) (age 52.3+/-1.8) education level +1+/- 1.1. with a MATTIS score higher than 140 (143+/-1.7), (H.A.M.A.), and (M.I.N.I.) tests are administered to all subjects who are right-handed and in good health.
Emotional series (ES): anger/fear ; anger/sadness ; happiness/sadness; neutral/anger ; neutral/disgusted; neutral/happiness, neutral/fear; neutral/surprise and neutral/sadnesse were used for the test.
Results: The results for each ES were fitted to a sigmoid curve as expressed by the logistic equation, where “a”,“b”,“c” are obtained by an iteration process conducted until an adequate fitting is obtained. We compared these three coefficients for the YS and ES groups of subjects.
Conclusion: We observed that an idiosyncrasy effect appears in the PIFEB. The ES group identifies in a more categorical way: sadness, fear and surprise whereas perception of disgust is minimal. Thus, the PIFEB appears to be linked to the aging process.
References: Bruyer R, Granato P: Categorical effects in the perception of facial expressions M.A.R.I.E. a simple and discriminating clinical tool. European Review of Applied Psychology 1999; 49:3-10. Granato P, Bruyer R: Measurement of facially expressed emotions by a computerized study: method of study and analysis of integration of emotions: M.A.R.I.E. European Psychiatry 2002; 17; 6:1-10.
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