The Neurology of Emotional Expression

Emotional expressivity is a fundamental aspect of human communication. Patient-oriented research into impairments of emotional expression has both theoretical and clinical significance. The study of these disorders in individuals with neurologic disease has shed light on the neural mechanisms that underlie emotional expression. Furthermore, an understanding of how these disorders manifest themselves in different patient populations has generated increased translational work including efforts to develop appropriate treatments. This chapter reviews the neurology of verbal and non-verbal channels of emotional expression and discusses the fractionation and impairment of affective expression in patients with neurologic disease.