Bekendam MT, Kop WJ, Vermeltfoort IAC, Widdershoven JW, Mommersteeg PMC. Facial Expressions of Emotions During Pharmacological and Exercise Stress Testing: the Role of Myocardial Ischemia and Cardiac Symptoms.
Int J Behav Med 2021;
28:692-704. [PMID:
33619698 PMCID:
PMC8551126 DOI:
10.1007/s12529-021-09963-3]
[Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 01/22/2021] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
Background
Negative emotions have been linked to ischemic heart disease, but existing research typically involves self-report methods and little is known about non-verbal facial emotion expression. The role of ischemia and anginal symptoms in emotion expression was examined.
Methods
Patients undergoing cardiac stress testing (CST) using bicycle exercise or adenosine with myocardial perfusion imaging were included (N = 256, mean age 66.8 ± 8.7 year., 43% women). Video images and emotion expression (sadness, anxiety, anger, and happiness) were analyzed at baseline, initial CST , maximal CST, recovery. Nuclear images were evaluated using SPECT.
Results
Ischemia (N = 89; 35%) was associated with higher levels of sadness (p = .017, d = 0.34) and lower happiness (p = .015, d = 0.30). During recovery, patients with both ischemia and anginal symptoms had the highest sadness expression (F (3,254) = 3.67, p = .013, eta2 = 0.042) and the lowest happiness expression (F (3, 254) = 4.19, p = .006, eta2 = .048).
Conclusion
Sadness and reduced happiness were more common in patients with ischemia. Also, anginal symptoms were associated with more negative emotions.
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