Cohen AS, Morrison SC, Callaway DA. Computerized facial analysis for understanding
constricted/blunted affect: initial feasibility, reliability, and validity data.
Schizophr Res 2013;
148:111-6. [PMID:
23726720 PMCID:
PMC3732533 DOI:
10.1016/j.schres.2013.05.003]
[Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/20/2012] [Revised: 04/30/2013] [Accepted: 05/02/2013] [Indexed: 10/26/2022]
Abstract
Diminished expression is a diagnostic feature of a range of schizophrenia-spectrum disorders/conditions and is often unresponsive to treatment, is present across premorbid, first episode and various clinical states, and is considered a poor prognostic indicator. Surprisingly, little is known about diminished expression. The present study sought to address this issue by evaluating a commercially-available computerized facial analysis software for understanding diminished expressivity. We analyzed natural facial expression from a series of laboratory interaction tasks in 28 individuals with psychometric schizotypy - defined as the personality organization reflecting a putative genetic schizophrenia liability, and 26 matched controls. We evaluated (a) feasibility - defined in terms of the number of video frames recognized by the software, (b) reliability - defined in terms of correlations between facial expression variables across the three laboratory interactions, and (c) construct validity - defined in terms of relationships to clinical variables. For most subjects (~80%), approximately three-quarters of the video frames were analyzable by the software; however, a minority of the videos were essentially unreadable. The facial expression variables showed excellent reliability across interaction conditions. In terms of construct validity, facial expression variables were significantly related to a measure of psychoticism, tapping subjective cognitive concerns and "first-rank" schizophrenia symptoms, but were generally not different between groups. Facial expression variables were generally not significantly related to measures of depression, anxiety, paranoia or, surprisingly, self-reported negative schizotypy. While computerized facial analysis appears to be a reliable and promising method of understanding diminished expressivity across the schizophrenia-spectrum, some work remains. Implications are discussed.
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