Blunted affect

Reduced affect display refers to reduced emotional reactivity in an individual. It manifests as a failure to express feelings either verbally or non-verbally, especially when talking about issues that would normally be expected to engage the emotions. Expressive gestures are rare and there is little animation in facial expression or vocal inflection. Reduced affect can be symptomatic of schizophrenia, depression, posttraumatic stress disorder, depersonalization disorder, or brain damage. It may also be a side effect of certain medications (e.g., antipsychotics and antidepressants). Individuals with blunted or flat affect show different regional brain activity when compared with healthy individuals.