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Researchers suggest Botox can reduce ability to feel emotionsJune 24, 2010 by Lin Edwards
(PhysOrg.com) -- Researchers studying the effects of Botox, a chemical used to smooth out facial wrinkles, have found the paralysis of facial muscles can reduce feedback to the brain and in turn reduce the intensity of emotional responses, especially to mildly positive stimuli.
Botox contains a protein (onabotulinumtoxinA) that temporarily paralyzes thefacial muscles that create the creases we call wrinkles. This reduces wrinkles, but can also make the face lack expression and appear frozen.

One of the leaders of the research team, Joshua Davis, a psychologist at New York’s Barnard College, said a person who has been injected with Botox can respond to an emotional stimulus, but the limited ability to change facial expressions leads to limited feedback to the brain from the unmoving facial muscles. Davis said this effect allowed the scientists to design a test of the facial feedback hypothesis (FFH) which suggests facial expressions can influence the intensity of feelings in response to emotional experiences.

Dr. Davis, Ann Senghas, and colleagues studied people being treated with Botox, showing each subject emotionally charged videos before and after their injections. Members of the control group were people being treated with Restylene, which is injected into facial wrinkles and lips to fill out the sagging skin, but which does not limit muscle movement.

The results, published in the journal Emotion indicated the Botox patients reported an “overall significant decrease in the strength of emotional experience” compared to the Restalyne group. The response to mildly positive clips was especially reduced after the injections. The group on Restylene did not experience the reduced emotional response, but did show an unexpected increase in response to negative clips.

The researchers said the results suggest feedback from facial expressions is not necessary for emotional experience, but may exert an influence in some circumstances.READ MORE


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By Lucy Taylor of Mail online

Us women are more egocentric and narcissistic than we ever used to be, according to extensive research by two leading psychologists.

More of us have huge expectations of ourselves, our lives and everyone in them. We think the universe resolves around us, with a deluded sense of our own fabulousness, and believe we are cleverer, more talented and more attractive than we actually are.

We have trouble accepting criticism and extending empathy because we are so preoccupied with ourselves.

Read full article HERE
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