Face Tuning in Depression

Abstract

The latest COVID-19 pandemic reveals that unexpected changes elevate depression bringing people apart, but also calling for social sharing. Yet the impact of depression on social cognition and functioning is not well understood. Assessment of social cognition is crucial not only for a better understanding of major depressive disorder (MDD), but also for screening, intervention, and remediation. Here by applying a novel experimental tool, a Face-n-Food task comprising a set of images bordering on the Giuseppe Arcimboldo style, we assessed the face tuning in patients with MDD and person-by-person matched controls. The key benefit of these images is that single components do not trigger face processing. Contrary to common beliefs, the outcome indicates that individuals with depression express intact face responsiveness. Yet, while in depression face sensitivity is tied with perceptual organization, in typical development, it is knotted with social cognition capabilities. Face tuning in depression, therefore, may rely upon altered behavioral strategies and underwriting brain mechanisms. To exclude a possible camouflaging effect of female social skills, we examined gender impact. Neither in depression nor in typical individuals had females excelled in face tuning. The outcome sheds light on the origins of the face sensitivity and alterations in social functioning in depression and mental well-being at large. Aberrant social functioning in depression is likely to be the result of deeply-rooted maladaptive strategies rather than of poor sensitivity to social signals. This has implications for mental well-being under the current pandemic conditions.

Social cognition in individuals born preterm

“…The Face-n-Food images were presented to all participants one by one in a predetermined order from the least to most recognizable as a face 61 . Similar to previous work in TD individuals and in a range of neurodevelopmental and psychiatric conditions 61 – 68 , PB individuals described a food-plate image either in terms of food (non-face response, 0) or as a face (face response, 1). Two out of 14 PB patients completely failed on the Face-n-Food task: they did not have spontaneous face impressions even from the most face-resembling images.…”

“…By applying a novel tool for the face sensitivity examination, a recently developed Face-n-Food task 61 – 68 , we assessed the face tuning in individuals who were born prematurely and suffer PVL, the dominant form of brain injury in prematurity 5 , 54 . PVL represents a bilateral pattern of white matter lesions equally affecting both hemispheres that leaves the brain without sufficient potential for functional reorganization.…”

“…Previous work revealed substantial (though rather specific for every single neurodevelopmental and neuropsychiatric condition) deficits in the face tuning in different patient populations (for comparative analysis, see 67 ). For example, in schizophrenia, the face tuning is substantially impaired, and this deficit is related to deficits in both social cognition and visual perceptual organization 67 , whereas individuals with major depressive disorder do not express any shortfalls in face tuning 68 . Comparison of the present outcome with earlier data in patients with Down syndrome, DS 65 , and Williams syndrome, WS 62 , sheds light on the possible origins of the deficient face tuning in former preterms.…”

“…In the face sensitivity, female superiority has been observed by administering the Face-n-Food task to a homogeneous group of university students 61 . Yet in adult individuals with major depression, no gender differences occur in the face tuning 68 . The female brain is reported to be more responsive to face-like non-face images such as clocks or backpacks eliciting a face impression, with a greater activation in the right STS and Brodmann area 22, though sex differences are absent at earlier stages of face processing 112 .…”

“…The present study was directed at investigation of face tuning in PB adolescents who suffer PVL. For investigation of face tuning, we applied a recently developed tool, a set of images comprising food ingredients such as fruits and vegetables 61 – 68 . The Face-n-Food images to some extent border on the style of Giuseppe Arcimboldo, a genius Italian painter known for his imaginative portraits composed of fruits, vegetables, and even roasted meat (Fig.…”