Computerized facial analysis for understanding constricted/blunted affect: Initial feasibility, reliability, and validity data

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 was 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.

The normalities and abnormalities associated with speech in psychometrically-defined schizotypy

“…Several recent articles in Schizophrenia Research have employed relatively sophisticated computerized analysis of communication to understand deficits in individuals with schizotypal characteristics (Dickey et al, 2012; Cohen, Morrison & Callaway, 2013). The magnitude of deficits has tended to be negligible to small; which is surprising since these same individuals self-report high levels of communication deficits (ie., 1–2 standard deviations in Cohen et al, 2010; Kerns & Becker 2008).…”

Speech Prosody Abnormalities and Specific Dimensional Schizotypy Features

“…Studies that have defined schizotypy through social anhedonia measures found reduced behavioral ratings of facial expressivity (Collins et al, 2005; Kring et al, 1994; Leung et al, 2010) and verbal expressivity (Collins et al, 2005). In contrast, one recent SPQ study using computerized facial expression analysis did not find a relationship between facial expressivity and schizotypy (Cohen et al, 2013b), although some facial abnormalities were associated with severity of psychotic experiences more generally. Similarly, three studies that used computerized prosodic analysis of speech in SPQ-defined schizotypy did not find an overall group deficit in prosody during conditions which allowed for self-directed speech without additional cognitive demands (Cohen et al, 2009; Cohen et al, 2011; Cohen et al, 2012a).…”

A temporal examination of co-activated emotion valence networks in schizophrenia and schizotypy

“…However, these self-report abnormalities must be understood within the context of “objective” abnormalities, as behavioral data often fail to support the magnitude of these deficits. For example, functioning on standardized tests of cognitive functioning are largely unremarkable (see Chun et al, 2013 for a meta-analysis) as are comparisons employing objective computerized analysis of facial (Cohen et al, 2013) and vocal expression (Cohen, et al, 2012b). These discrepancies across subjective and objective domains of functioning raise questions about whether there is a dysfunction or bias with how schizotypal individuals process, evaluate and/or report autobiographical information.…”