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Emotion perception in old age and Emotion perception in old age and dementiadementia

Louise Phillips, Vasiliki Orgeta & Clare Scott Louise Phillips, Vasiliki Orgeta & Clare Scott School of Psychology, University of Aberdeen.School of Psychology, University of Aberdeen.

Acknowledgements:Acknowledgements:Alzheimer’s Research TrustAlzheimer’s Research Trust

Donald Mowat & Stephen Bell, Grampian NHS TrustDonald Mowat & Stephen Bell, Grampian NHS TrustShelley Channon, UCL.Shelley Channon, UCL.

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Ekman faces: emotion labelling taskEkman faces: emotion labelling task

Standardised stimuli.Standardised stimuli. Widely used in cross-Widely used in cross-

cultural and cultural and neuropsychological neuropsychological studies.studies.DISGUST

HAPPINESSSADNESS

FEARANGER

SURPRISE?

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Meta-analysis of age effects on emotion labellingMeta-analysis of age effects on emotion labellingRuffman et al. (in prep)Ruffman et al. (in prep)

Age difference in identifying:Age difference in identifying: Negative emotions of anger, sadness, fear.Negative emotions of anger, sadness, fear.

No age difference in identifying:No age difference in identifying: Surprise, happiness, disgust.Surprise, happiness, disgust. Positivity? Ceiling effects?Positivity? Ceiling effects?

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Outline of talkOutline of talk

Normal aging and Alzheimer’s Disease Normal aging and Alzheimer’s Disease cause impairments of emotion labelling.cause impairments of emotion labelling.

Why?Why? Because of high cognitive load of the task?Because of high cognitive load of the task?

Reduce cognitive load of taskReduce cognitive load of task Because of visual perceptual declines?Because of visual perceptual declines?

Vary intensity of emotionVary intensity of emotion Relationship with face identity perception.Relationship with face identity perception.

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Cognitive components of emotion labellingCognitive components of emotion labelling

Labelling emotionsLabelling emotions Rapid perceptual processing of valenceRapid perceptual processing of valence Decision-making process: which label is bestDecision-making process: which label is best

Likely that decision-making process loads Likely that decision-making process loads working memoryworking memory Phillips et al. (under review): tested role of Phillips et al. (under review): tested role of

working memory in emotion perception using working memory in emotion perception using dual task methodology.dual task methodology.

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Dual task effects on emotion labelling and Dual task effects on emotion labelling and discrimination. discrimination. Phillips et al. (under review)Phillips et al. (under review)

50

60

70

80

single dual

DISGUSTHAPPINESSSADNESS

FEARANGER

SURPRISE?

50

60

70

80

single dual

  SAME 

or DIFFERENT

emotion?

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Age effects on emotion discrimination taskAge effects on emotion discrimination task MacPherson, Phillips & Della Sala (2007)MacPherson, Phillips & Della Sala (2007)

Looked at age effects on emotion labelling and Looked at age effects on emotion labelling and discrimination tasksdiscrimination tasks

Size of age effects:Size of age effects: Labelling: eta squaredLabelling: eta squared = .28= .28 Discrimination: eta squared = .33Discrimination: eta squared = .33

Age differences in emotion perception not Age differences in emotion perception not caused by working memory demands of taskcaused by working memory demands of task

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Age and visual cues in emotion perceptionAge and visual cues in emotion perception Orgeta & Phillips (in press)Orgeta & Phillips (in press)

Reduce intensity of emotion portrayed.Reduce intensity of emotion portrayed. Particularly impair older adults?Particularly impair older adults? Also – remove ceiling effects on happinessAlso – remove ceiling effects on happiness

Are age differences in emotion perception Are age differences in emotion perception related to identity perception?related to identity perception? Benton Facial Recognition TestBenton Facial Recognition Test

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Effects of intensity on age differences in labelling Effects of intensity on age differences in labelling happy and sad faceshappy and sad faces Orgeta & Phillips (in press)Orgeta & Phillips (in press)

Happiness

0

2

4

6

25% 50% 75% 100%

Intensity Level

Corre

ct Ide

ntifica

tions %

iiiiii

Young Old

Sadness

0

2

4

6

25% 50% 75% 100%

Intensity Level

Corre

ct Ide

ntifica

tions %

iiiiii

Young Old

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Summary of aging effects on emotion perceptionSummary of aging effects on emotion perception

Old impaired: labelling sadness, anger and fearOld impaired: labelling sadness, anger and fear No difference in age effect for less intense emotionsNo difference in age effect for less intense emotions

Age impairments on face identity perception Age impairments on face identity perception But unrelated to age declines in emotion perceptionBut unrelated to age declines in emotion perception

Older adults equally impaired on emotion Older adults equally impaired on emotion labelling and discriminationlabelling and discrimination Age differences not due to working memory loadAge differences not due to working memory load

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Effects of Alzheimer’s Disease (AD) Effects of Alzheimer’s Disease (AD) on emotion perceptionon emotion perception

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SampleSample

GroupGroup NN AgeAge EducationEducation MMSEMMSE GDSGDS

HCHC 3030 72.9772.97 12.1312.13 29.4029.40 1.701.70

ADAD 2828 73.8373.83 11.3011.30 22.0422.04 2.682.68

AD = HCAD = HC AD = HCAD = HC HC > ADHC > AD AD = HCAD = HC

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Methods: emotion/face tasksMethods: emotion/face tasks

Choose from emotion labels:happiness sadnessanger disgustsurprise fear

Emotion labelling

  SAME or 

DIFFERENTemotion?

Emotion discrimination

Identity recognition

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Emotion labelling: AD v controlEmotion labelling: AD v control

0

2

4

6

8

happ

ysa

dan

ger

disgu

stfe

ar

surp

rise

accu

racy

control

AD

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Emotion labelling versus discrimination.Emotion labelling versus discrimination.

  DISCRIMINATION

  Group effect size d = 0.95

DISGUSTHAPPINESSSADNESS

FEARANGER

SURPRISE

  LABELLING

  Group effect size d = 1.26

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Intensity effects on emotion perceptionIntensity effects on emotion perception

Saw faces at 75% and 100% intensitySaw faces at 75% and 100% intensity For each, asked to label emotionFor each, asked to label emotion

No interaction between group and No interaction between group and intensity.intensity. E.g. AD patients good at identifying happiness E.g. AD patients good at identifying happiness

and disgust even at 75% intensity.and disgust even at 75% intensity. AD impaired on face identity perception AD impaired on face identity perception

But unrelated to emotion perceptionBut unrelated to emotion perception

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Summary of AD effectsSummary of AD effects

AD impairs labelling of:AD impairs labelling of: Anger, sadness, fear, surpriseAnger, sadness, fear, surprise Size of effect same for less intense emotionsSize of effect same for less intense emotions

Impaired emotion perception in AD not Impaired emotion perception in AD not explained by:explained by: Cognitive load of task Cognitive load of task Identity perceptionIdentity perception

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Young, old and AD on emotion perceptionYoung, old and AD on emotion perceptionHenry et al. (in prep.)Henry et al. (in prep.)

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ConclusionsConclusions

Age and AD effects on emotion perception:Age and AD effects on emotion perception: Not explained by working memory load of taskNot explained by working memory load of task Not influenced by intensity of emotional expressionNot influenced by intensity of emotional expression Unrelated to identity perceptionUnrelated to identity perception

Why is disgust spared?Why is disgust spared? Neuropsychological explanation – dependent on Neuropsychological explanation – dependent on

basal ganglia rather than temporal/frontal regions?basal ganglia rather than temporal/frontal regions?

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Emotion perception in old age and Emotion perception in old age and dementiadementia

Louise Phillips, Vasiliki Orgeta & Clare Scott Louise Phillips, Vasiliki Orgeta & Clare Scott School of Psychology, University of Aberdeen.School of Psychology, University of Aberdeen.

Acknowledgements:Acknowledgements:Alzheimer’s Research TrustAlzheimer’s Research Trust

Donald Mowat & Stephen BellDonald Mowat & Stephen BellShelley ChannonShelley Channon

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Age and visual cues in emotion perceptionAge and visual cues in emotion perception

Benton Facial Recognition TestBenton Facial Recognition Test