Deficits in facial emotion recognition and cognitive function among baby boomers

Abstract

Facial emotion recognition (FER), a key component of social cognition, plays a critical role in social interactions. In the aging process, FER among older adults holds significant potential as a tool for diagnosing cognitive function or enhancing interpersonal relationships. However, research in this area remains limited. This study aims to address this gap by examining the impact of cognitive function on FER among Korean baby boomers aged 60 to 69. Eighty-one participants completed the Korean version of the Montreal Cognitive Assessment (K-MOCA) and FER tasks. Of the participants, 69 % had normal cognition, while 31 % had mild cognitive impairment. Participants with normal cognition were 1.59 times more likely to recognize facial expressions correctly than those with impaired cognition (AOR = 1.59, p < 0.0001). They showed significantly higher odds of recognizing happy (AOR = 9.68), anger (AOR = 2.25), disgust (AOR = 1.95), neutral (AOR = 3.02), and surprise (AOR = 2.27) expressions (p < 0.001). Participants with normal cognition participants also scored higher on overall intensity for every emotion except sadness (p < 0.001). Among the seven domains of the MoCA, three sub-domains—visuospatial/executive function, language, and orientation—showed significant associations with overall FER. These results highlight the diagnostic potential of FER tasks in identifying cognitive disorders and enhancing social skills in clinical and practical settings.