Emotional Facial Expression Recognition in Women with PTSD

Abstract

Emotional facial expression recognition occurs ever second of every day, without anyone noticing they are processing this information. Anytime we see another person, we are mentally trying to figure out how they are feeling based on the expressions on their face. For most people, this comes without any form of trouble or conscious thought, but for others, it is something they cannot do accurately. Most processing of this information occurs in the amygdala, which when damaged, causes issues when trying to understand emotions. There are other areas associated with emotion as well, such as the temporal lobes, hippocampus, insula, medial prefrontal cortex, and anterior cingulate cortex. Individuals diagnosed with PTSD display a wide array of symptoms, the two that are important for this research and isolation and the feeling of negative emotions. Women are more likely than men to display symptoms of PTSD, which is a result of cognitive differences. People diagnosed with PTSD have different reactions in the amygdala and other brain regions that affect facial recognition