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PCOS is associated with diminished ability to identify specific facial emotions, especially fear and disgust.
Women with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) may find it harder to recognize facial emotions—especially fear and disgust—according to new research exploring the link between hormones, mental health, and social cognition.
The study involved 178 subjects divided into 3 groups—women suffering from provisional PCOS, women without PCOS, and men. All the subjects completed a facial emotion recognition task that required identifying emotions like anger, disgust, fear, happiness, sadness, surprise, and neutrality in facial images. In addition, women completed self-reported assessments, including the Polycystic Ovary Syndrome Questionnaire, to check PCOS symptom severity and provisional diagnosis.
In this observational case-control study, women with provisional PCOS showed lower overall emotion recognition accuracy compared to women without PCOS, with the most notable deficits observed for recognizing fear and disgust. A linear trend was observed across groups—men were the least accurate, followed by PCOS-affected women. Women without PCOS were the most accurate. These results align with prior research suggesting that androgens (male hormones), which are elevated in PCOS, can impair emotional processing and facial emotion recognition.
Accurate facial emotion recognition is vital for effective communication, empathy, and social relationships. Difficulty identifying emotions may therefore contribute to the emotional distress, anxiety, and social challenges frequently reported in women with PCOS. Researchers highlight that these insights deepen the understanding of how hormonal imbalance and mental health intersect in PCOS, reinforcing the need for holistic treatment approaches that address both physical and emotional well-being.
Women's Health
Facial emotion recognition accuracy in women with symptoms of polycystic ovary syndrome: Reduced fear and disgust perception
Shree Smruthi Venkateshan et al.
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