Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jun 25, 2026

Using Facial Electromyography to Assess Facial Muscle Reactions to Experienced and Observed Affective Touch in Humans
Published on: March 15, 2019
Lowered sensitivity to facial emotions in myotonic dystrophy type 1
Akitoshi Takeda1, Mutsutaka Kobayakawa, Atsunobu Suzuki
1Department of Neurology, Showa University School of Medicine, Tokyo, Japan.
Background:
It has been observed that patients with myotonic dystrophy type 1 (DM1) exhibit social-cognitive impairment. However, the cognitive and neurological bases of the social-cognitive impairment in DM1 have not been adequately investigated.
Methods:
We studied cognitive deficits and impairment in facial expression recognition in two DM1 patients (one man and one woman). We measured the sensitivity of these patients to basic emotions and compared the results with those from magnetic resonance imaging and single photon emission computed tomography.
Results:
The DM1 patients showed lower sensitivity to fearful, disgusted, and angry faces than did the healthy controls. They also had lesions in the anterior temporal white matter, the amygdala, and the insular and orbitofrontal cortices.
Conclusion:
The results of this study revealed that the DM1 patients had subcortical lesions in the anterior temporal areas, including the amygdala and the insular and orbitofrontal cortices. The limbic system, which includes these areas of the brain, plays an important role in emotional processing. Hence, the social-cognitive impairment in DM1 patients could be associated with a decreased sensitivity to facial expressions owing to lesions in the limbic system.
Related Concept Videos
Alterations in Muscle Tone lll
Facial Feedback Hypothesis
Muscles for Facial Expressions
Alterations in Muscle Tone ll
Disorders of the Skeletal Muscle
Musculoskeletal disorders
Musculoskeletal disorders involve injuries and conditions affecting the skeletal muscles and associated connective tissues. These disorders can arise from acute biomechanical stresses or chronic overuse and can occur across different age groups. Common injuries include sprains, fractures, and muscular strains, often resulting from...
Myasthenia Gravis: Overview and Treatment
These antibodies interfere with the function of the nicotinic receptors in three ways: by binding to the receptor and disrupting acetylcholine binding; by causing cross-linking of receptors which leads...

