London - People who cannot express their surprise could be suffering from serious heart and lung disease.
Researchers have found that patients with the conditions don’t have the normal range of facial expressions, particularly the ability to register surprise.
The findings could help casualty doctors prioritise patients.
The preliminary research published online in the Emergency Medicine Journal tested 50 adults with shortness of breath and chest pain in an A&E department.
The patients briefly viewed a humorous cartoon, a close-up of a surprised face, and a picture of someone in tears – all designed to evoke an emotional response – and their responses were recorded. These were then analysed using the Facial Action Coding System which scores changes in facial muscle activity, reflecting the extent of smiling, frowning and surprise.
The analysis found that patients with chest pain and shortness of breath who had a potentially serious heart or lung condition had a significantly narrower range of facial expression.
Dr Jeffrey Kline, of Indiana University, said: “The ultimate goal of this work is to provide clinicians with a new physical finding that can be associated with a healthy state to avoid unnecessary scanning, which could be added to the physical examination.” - Daily Mail