New discoveries about happy faces to assist people with rare genetic condition

New discoveries about how the brain processes facial expressions could lead to improved ways of educating and training for people with a rare genetic neurodevelopmental condition called Williams Syndrome.

Reporting in the Journal of Neuroscience (28.2.09), Dr Debra Mills, a Reader at Bangor University's School of Psychology, reports that, as a result of their research, the team have learnt more about exactly when and where the brain processes positive and negative emotional expressions. Her research using a combined electrophysiological and brain imaging (fMRI) approach was conducted jointly with colleagues at Stanford University and the Salk Institute in the US.

They discovered that a part of the brain that responds to fearful expressions in most people, is actually more active as a result of happy faces in people with this disorder. The research focussed on individuals with Williams Syndrome, a rare genetic condition. Along with other traits, people with Williams Syndrome have a heightened response to happy or smiling faces- and are less likely to react to aggressive or angry faces. People with this condition can be friendly and gregarious individuals- so friendly that they can place themselves in danger. Such individuals generally require 24 hour care or supervision. Through the research, the team were able to pinpoint the differences in brain processing in people with Williams' Syndrome compared to a range of other individuals, to learn more about this unusual condition.

"We want to understand the brain mechanisms involved in reacting to emotional expressions so that we can understand what happens within these individuals and ultimately improve the help and care they receive. People with Williams' Syndrome are usually aware of their condition but are often unable to inhibit their impulses to engage with people around them. It may be that their response to seeing a happy face is far more intense than our own."

The part of the brain most active when reacting to emotional stimuli is the amygdala, a primitive almond shaped brain structure. This small area deep within the brain interacts with other parts of the brain to regulate arousal, attention, and memory to emotional stimuli. The researchers established that the changed response in people with Williams' syndrome was not related to IQ.