Role Of Facial Expressions Research Articles

Effectiveness of Hypoglossal-Facial Anastomosis in the Rehabilitation of Facial Paralysis Following Vestibular Schwannoma Surgery: A Systematic Review.

The facial nerve plays a crucial role in facial expression and sensory functions, with irreversible injuries often demanding rehabilitation therapies, with hypoglossal-facial nerve anastomosis (HFA) being one of the treatment options. This systematic review assessed different HFA techniques for facial paralysis, particularly post vestibular schwannoma resection, focusing on effectiveness and associated morbidities. Fifteen studies, comprising a case series and a retrospective cohort, were analyzed. Techniques included end-to-end, split, side-to-side, end-to-side, and jump interpositional graft hypoglossal-facial anastomosis (JIGHFA). Positive outcomes were observed with end-to-end and side-to-side techniques, while the split technique and JIGHFA showed promise. Comparative analyses favored the 'end-to-side' approach. Shorter intervals between surgery and HFA correlated with improved outcomes. Methodological variations highlight the need for prospective studies with standardized methodologies for robust evidence and informed decision-making on optimal HFA techniques.

EMS: 3D Eyebrow Modeling from Single-View Images

Eyebrows play a critical role in facial expression and appearance. Although the 3D digitization of faces is well explored, less attention has been drawn to 3D eyebrow modeling. In this work, we propose EMS, the first learning-based framework for single-view 3D eyebrow reconstruction. Following the methods of scalp hair reconstruction, we also represent the eyebrow as a set of fiber curves and convert the reconstruction to fibers growing problem. Three modules are then carefully designed: RootFinder firstly localizes the fiber root positions which indicate where to grow; OriPredictor predicts an orientation field in the 3D space to guide the growing of fibers; FiberEnder is designed to determine when to stop the growth of each fiber. Our OriPredictor directly borrows the method used in hair reconstruction. Considering the differences between hair and eyebrows, both RootFinder and FiberEnder are newly proposed. Specifically, to cope with the challenge that the root location is severely occluded, we formulate root localization as a density map estimation task. Given the predicted density map, a density-based clustering method is further used for finding the roots. For each fiber, the growth starts from the root point and moves step by step until the ending, where each step is defined as an oriented line segment with a constant length according to the predicted orientation field. To determine when to end, a pixel-aligned RNN architecture is designed to form a binary classifier, which outputs stop or not for each growing step. To support the training of all proposed networks, we build the first 3D synthetic eyebrow dataset that contains 400 high-quality eyebrow models manually created by artists. Extensive experiments have demonstrated the effectiveness of the proposed EMS pipeline on a variety of different eyebrow styles and lengths, ranging from short and sparse to long bushy eyebrows.

Facial expressions of pain: the role of the serotonergic system

RationaleAlthough interest in the neurobiology of facial communication of pain has increased over the last decades, little is known about which neurotransmitter systems might be involved in regulating facial expressions of pain.ObjectivesWe aim to investigate whether the serotonergic system (5-HT), which has been implicated in various aspects of pain processing as well as in behavioral response inhibition, might play a role in facial expressions of pain. Using acute tryptophan depletion (ATD) to manipulate 5-HT function, we examined its effects on facial and subjective pain responses.MethodsIn a double-blind, placebo-controlled within-subject design, 27 participants received either an ATD or a control drink in two separate sessions. Approximately 5-h post-oral consumption, we assessed pain thresholds (heat, pressure) as well as facial and subjective responses to phasic heat pain. Moreover, situational pain catastrophizing and mood were assessed as affective state indicators.ResultsATD neither influenced pain thresholds nor self-report ratings, nor catastrophizing or mood. Only facial responses were significantly affected by ATD. ATD led to a decrease in pain-indicative as well as in pain-non-indicative facial responses to painful heat, compared to the control condition.ConclusionsDecrease in brain 5-HT synthesis via ATD significantly reduced facial responses to phasic heat pain; possibly due to (i) diminished disposition to display social behavior or due to (ii) decreased facilitation of excitatory inputs to the facial motor neuron.

Custom - made ocular prosthesis: A novel way of iris positioning

Loss of any part from the maxillofacial region can have traumatic impact on the psychology of an individual. A prime role in facial expression is played by the eyes and tissues around it. A missing eye can be rehabilitated prosthetically. The main aim is to achieve adequate esthetic and function with rehabilitation to improve lifestyle and social acceptance. The ocular prosthesis can be a stock eye shell or custom-made eye. Exact matching of the contralateral eye is of utmost importance. Here a novel way of iris positing has been done. Thus, this case report presents a unique technique for the fabrication of a custom-made unilateral ocular prosthesis.

Towards Facial Gesture Recognition in Photographs of Patients with Facial Palsy.

Humans express their emotions verbally and through actions, and hence emotions play a fundamental role in facial expressions and body gestures. Facial expression recognition is a popular topic in security, healthcare, entertainment, advertisement, education, and robotics. Detecting facial expressions via gesture recognition is a complex and challenging problem, especially in persons who suffer face impairments, such as patients with facial paralysis. Facial palsy or paralysis refers to the incapacity to move the facial muscles on one or both sides of the face. This work proposes a methodology based on neural networks and handcrafted features to recognize six gestures in patients with facial palsy. The proposed facial palsy gesture recognition system is designed and evaluated on a publicly available database with good results as a first attempt to perform this task in the medical field. We conclude that, to recognize facial gestures in patients with facial paralysis, the severity of the damage has to be considered because paralyzed organs exhibit different behavior than do healthy ones, and any recognition system must be capable of discerning these behaviors.

The "Frogger Flap": A Novel Quadruple Rhomboid Flap for Complex Central Upper Lip Reconstruction.

Summary:Upper lip reconstruction represents a unique challenge for the reconstructive plastic surgeon. Given its prominent aesthetic role in addition to its functional role in facial expression, speech, and oral intake, preservation of this region’s natural form and function is paramount. In this report, we present a novel technique for the reconstruction of a complex central upper lip defect, restoring the natural aesthetic of this essential structure. We describe the case of a 51-year-old woman who presented with recurrence of a previously resected basal cell carcinoma center on the upper lip at the level of the white roll and philtral depression. Following surgical resection via Mohs micrographic surgery, a 1.8 × 1.6 cm partial-thickness defect centered around the Cupid bow involving both cutaneous and vermillion tissues remained. Reconstruction was achieved through a novel quadruple rhomboid flap primarily based on the preservation of the aesthetic subunits of the upper lip. A functional and aesthetic reconstruction was achieved through local tissue rearrangement, restoring the appearance of the white roll and red line. Native perfusion and innervation were preserved during the reconstruction of the Cupid bow, recreating this region’s natural appearance. The design of the flap resembles a jumping frog, which is the etiology of the “Frogger flap” moniker. The Frogger flap recreates the natural aesthetic of the central upper lip through the geometric transposition of tissue commensurate with native anatomy. Through the application of aesthetic subunit principles, it reliably reconstructs central upper lip defects while preserving function and providing an aesthetically pleasing outcome.

Effects of interactions between facial expressions and self-focused attention on emotion.

Self-focus is a type of cognitive processing that maintains negative emotions. Moreover, bodily feedback is also essential for maintaining emotions. This study investigated the effect of interactions between self-focused attention and facial expressions on emotions. The results indicated that control facial expression manipulation after self-focus reduced happiness scores. On the contrary, the smiling facial expression manipulation after self-focus increased happiness scores marginally. However, facial expressions did not affect positive emotions after the other-focus manipulation. These findings suggest that self-focus plays a pivotal role in facial expressions’ effect on positive emotions. However, self-focusing is insufficient for decreasing positive emotions, and the interaction between self-focus and facial expressions is crucial for developing positive emotions.

The Role of Facial Expressions in the Art of Musical Conducting

"Facial expressions can be regarded as an accurate reflection of the inner emotions people manifest towards the surrounding reality, filtered through their own emotional „strainer”. The source of these feelings lies not only in external influences, but also in a man's own thoughts, experiences, level of education and culture, as well as the degree of development of their own volitional and emotional capacities, in which muscle movements are merely just a simple mechanical means of rendering. The entire array of facial expressions acts as a unitary system which does nothing but complete the movements of the conductor's hands, filling them with meaning. We can say that this type of communication represents a way of combining the most delicate, vibrant, profound, and subtle feelings. It would be impossible to imagine that the movement of the arms, unsupported by the expression of the eyes and face or by the position of the body, were able to express a large array of emotions (joy, pain, sadness, rage, fear, surprise, or confidence) accurately and unequivocally. Keywords: facial expressions, mimicry, nonverbal communication, conductor, performance. "

Karapandzic Flap for Functional & Cosmetic Reconstruction of Lower Lip Cancer with Review of Literature

The incidence and prevalence of lip and oral cavity cancer has increased over the last decade, worldwide and in India. It ranks at 1st position in males in india, all ages, in 2020. Lips are essential organ of the body which carries dynamic role in facial expression, speech, sensuality, deglutition. Resection of central, large, lower lip cancer creates a more than 2/3rd large defect. Covering of this defect with maintenance of oral competency is a difficult task for a treating surgeon. Number of techniques are described for covering of large lower lip defects. Out of these techniques, karapandzic flap is a successful, accepted, simple, easy to learn reconstructive procedure with good cosmetic results. It is a modification of Gillie’s fan flap and it involves unilateral or bilateral full-thickness circumoral advancement-rotation flaps. The feature which distinguishes it from other techniques is preservation of neuro-vascular integrity, symmetry and oral competency. We are reporting a case of an elderly gentleman with large, central, lower lip cancer who underwent oncological resection with reconstruction by karapandzic flap technique.

Eyebrows, Facial Expression, and “Poem to the Eyebrow (Blason du Sourcil)”

This review aims to introduce the role of facial expression in communication, the areas involved in facial expression especially the eye and eyebrow, the "Poem of the Eyebrow" (Blason du Sourcil), and preferred brow archetypes.The ability to interpret and respond properly to facial expressions contributes to emotional self-competence and satisfactory social and cognitive development. Certain areas may intensify the emotional message, clarifying the expression and reducing ambiguity. Specific facial areas might make expressions more difficult to interpret. The region of the eye is the most prominent facial region for emotion interpretation. Roles of eyebrow density and position in the interpretation of facial expression of emotion depend, at least in part, upon the emotion being expressed. For face recognition, the eyebrows may be at least as influential as the eyes.French poet Maurice Sceve wrote "Poem to the Eyebrow." This poem contains some noteworthy verses about the function of the eyebrow: Eyebrow that makes the boldest fearful, and gives courage to even cowards.Among brow archetypes, "Anastasia type" (brow starts on a perpendicular line drawn from the middle of the nostril, arches on a line drawn from the center of the nose through the center of the pupil, and ends on a line drawn from the edge of the corresponding nasal ala through the outer edge of the eye) was the most preferred. The middle brow height was most preferred (the distance from the lateral canthus to the lateral end of eyebrow is two-thirds of the eye width).

Pick a smile: the perception and alteration of Gums, Color of the teeth and Lips

Facial attractiveness plays a key role in social life. Facial attractiveness and smile attractiveness appear strongly linked to one another. The fact is that in social interaction, one’s attention is mainly directed toward the mouth and eyes of the speaker’s face. As the mouth is the focus of communication in the face, the smile plays an important role in facial expression and appearance. Esthetic appearance is extremely subjective and relates to beauty and harmony. Objective: The aim of this study was to evaluate the perception of smile by laymen, orthodontists and Prosthodontists by changing lip size, teeth color and gingival display. This research project was carried out in Saudi Arabia for one year from January to December 2020, following approval by the Institute's Ethics Committee. Materials and Methods: A model was chosen with full permanent dentition, multiple pictures were created and afterwards evaluated by Laymen population, Orthodontists and Prosthodontists. Results: The results of the study reveal that smiles with whiter teeth and thicker lips were judged to be more aesthetic by laypersons compared to orthodontists, and prosthodontists. The minimum amount of gingival display was considered esthetic by the three groups. Perception of Orthodontists and Prosthodontists had no significant difference in gingival display, color of the teeth and thickness of lips.

The role of facial expression and tie strength in sender presence effects on consumers’ brand responses towards visual brand-related user generated content

The popularity of visual social network site Instagram has led to an increase of visual brand-related user-generated content (Br-UGC), which has the potential to affect brand outcomes. Previous research identified sender presence as an important content characteristic that can influence consumer's brand responses. However, the effect of sender presence in visual Br-UGC seems to be different from that of traditional advertising. The current research extends this sender presence scholarship by examining two explanations for the effects of sender presence: sender facial expression, and tie strength between sender and receiver. We expect that the effects of sender presence will be stronger for happy-as compared to neutral-looking senders, and that these effects are stronger when there is a stronger tie between sender and receiver. The current research adopts a two-step approach to examine sender presence effects in various levels of tie strength. Results show that a happy facial expression significantly increases like intention and brand attitude. Moreover, there is a moderating effect of tie strength on sender presence for comment intention: stronger levels of tie strength result in stronger effects of the presence of the sender. Theoretical and practical implications are discussed.

The Prediction Capacity 3-D Software, on a 2-D Analysis, in Planning the Positioning of the Upper Lip After Maxillary Advancement.

The maxillary advancement using Le Fort I osteotomy directly affects in the positioning of the upper lip (UL) and the nasolabial angle (NLA), which plays an important role in facial expression and aesthetics, because of this, the aim of this study was to evaluate the ability of Dolphin Imaging 11.8 software in predicting changes to the UL position and NLA in patients undergoing maxillary advancement. It was a retrospective cohort study. Predictive and final tracings using pre- and postoperative Cone beam computed tomography (CBCT) of 24 patients undergoing maxillary advancement, regardless of mandibular movement, were compared. Whether the amount of advancement changes this predictability was also analyzed. The predictive and the 12-month postoperative data were evaluated using Dolphin Imaging 11.8 software and compared. Student t test was used to get the results. The vertical analysis of the incisal tip and cementoenamel junction of the upper central incisor (UCI) and of the UL were statistically significant (P = .001 for all). The horizontal measurements of the same variables (P = .238, P = .516, P = .930, respectively) and the NLA (P = .060) showed no statistical significance. The amount of advancement did not interfere with the variables analyzed, except for the exposure (P = .009) and inclination of the UCI (P = .010). It was concluded that the amount of maxillary advancement does not interfere with the UL prediction; the prediction capacity of the software was good for the horizontal measurements, but had a significant error index for vertical measurements.

Autonomic Responses to Emotional Stimuli in Children Affected by Facial Palsy: The Case of Moebius Syndrome.

According to embodied simulation theories, others' emotions are recognized by the unconscious mimicking of observed facial expressions, which requires the implicit activation of the motor programs that produce a specific expression. Motor responses performed during the expression of a given emotion are hypothesized to be directly linked to autonomic responses associated with that emotional behavior. We tested this hypothesis in 9 children (Mage = 5.66) affected by Moebius syndrome (MBS) and 15 control children (Mage = 6.6). MBS is a neurological congenital disorder characterized by underdevelopment of the VI and VII cranial nerves, which results in paralysis of the face. Moebius patients' inability to produce facial expressions impairs their capacity to communicate emotions through the face. We therefore assessed Moebius children's autonomic response to emotional stimuli (video cartoons) by means of functional infrared thermal (fIRT) imaging. Patients showed weaker temperature changes compared to controls, suggesting impaired autonomic activity. They also showed difficulties in recognizing facial emotions from static illustrations. These findings reveal that the impairment of facial movement attenuates the intensity of emotional experience, probably through the diminished activation of autonomic responses associated with emotional stimuli. The current study is the first to investigate emotional responses in MBS children, providing important insights into the role of facial expressions in emotional processing during early development.

Bioinspired Soft Actuators for Eyeball Motions in Humanoid Robots

Technological progress in advanced materials and artificial intelligence has given an impetus to the development of humanoid robots that can mimic human appearance and interact with people effectively. Eyeball motions play a key role in facial expression of humanoid robots, and can greatly improve the relationship between the robots and the users. In this paper, we develop soft actuators which can achieve horizontal, vertical, and circular motions, for the application of robotic eyeballs. Inspired by nature, this soft actuator combines three linear dielectric elastomer actuators (DEAs). By controlling voltages applied to the three DEAs, this soft actuator is capable of realizing the horizontal, vertical, and circular motions. Each DEA is developed with optimal designs to achieve large voltage-induced deformation. The calculations on the optimal prestretches of the DEA are qualitatively consistent with the experiments. By combining two DEAs together, the soft actuator can mimic the horizontal motion of human eyeballs. By combing three DEAs together, the soft actuator can track desired motion trajectories effectively. This project can contribute to the development of humanoid robots with bioinspired design, lightweight, and low cost. The humanoid robot based on soft actuators can also improve the interaction with the users, due to its natural appearance, excellent safety and adaptability, and quiet operation.

Effects of Facial Expression and Facial Gender on Judgment of Trustworthiness: The Modulating Effect of Cooperative and Competitive Settings.

People often judge trustworthiness based on others’ faces (e.g., facial expression and facial gender). However, it is unclear whether social context plays a moderating role in forming trustworthiness judgments. Based on the emotions as social information (EASI) model, differing contexts may impact the effect of facial expression; however, there is no evidence demonstrating that differing contexts will or will not influence the effect of facial gender. In this study, we used two experiments to examine how facial expression and facial gender affect facial trustworthiness judgments and whether the effects on facial trustworthiness judgments are consistent in cooperative and competitive settings. Twenty-seven undergraduates (14 female; Mage = 21.81 years, SD = 2.66) participated in experiment 1. The results showed significant main effects of facial expression and facial gender as well as the interaction between them. To examine the social context effect, 28 undergraduates (18 female; Mage = 20.93 years, SD = 2.94) participated in experiment 2. The results showed the main effects of facial expression, facial gender, and social context. Moreover, there was a significant interaction between facial gender and facial expression and a marginally significant interaction between social context and facial expression. These results suggest that in the process of judging facial trustworthiness, individuals’ judgments are affected by both facial expression and facial gender. Furthermore, the effect of facial gender on facial trustworthiness judgments presents cross-situational stability, and the role of facial expression is influenced by the settings. These findings support and expand the EASI model.

Performance Comparison of Convolutional and Multiclass Neural Network for Learning Style Detection from Facial Images

Improving the accuracy of learning style detection models is a primary concern in the area of automatic detection of learning style, which can be achieved either through, attribute/feature selection or classification algorithm. However, the role of facial expression

Forehead Inclination in the Lateral Profile in Koreans.

Forehead Inclination in the Lateral Profile in Koreans.

Facial dynamics and emotional expressions in facial aging treatments.

Facial expressions convey emotions that form the foundation of interpersonal relationships, and many of these emotions promote and regulate our social linkages. Hence, the facial aging symptomatological analysis and the treatment plan must of necessity include knowledge of the facial dynamics and the emotional expressions of the face. This approach aims to more closely meet patients' expectations of natural-looking results, by correcting age-related negative expressions while observing the emotional language of the face. This article will successively describe patients' expectations, the role of facial expressions in relational dynamics, the relationship between facial structures and facial expressions, and the way facial aging mimics negative expressions. Eventually, therapeutic implications for facial aging treatment will be addressed.

Singing emotionally: a study of pre-production, production, and post-production facial expressions.

Singing involves vocal production accompanied by a dynamic and meaningful use of facial expressions, which may serve as ancillary gestures that complement, disambiguate, or reinforce the acoustic signal. In this investigation, we examined the use of facial movements to communicate emotion, focusing on movements arising in three epochs: before vocalization (pre-production), during vocalization (production), and immediately after vocalization (post-production). The stimuli were recordings of seven vocalists' facial movements as they sang short (14 syllable) melodic phrases with the intention of communicating happiness, sadness, irritation, or no emotion. Facial movements were presented as point-light displays to 16 observers who judged the emotion conveyed. Experiment 1 revealed that the accuracy of emotional judgment varied with singer, emotion, and epoch. Accuracy was highest in the production epoch, however, happiness was well communicated in the pre-production epoch. In Experiment 2, observers judged point-light displays of exaggerated movements. The ratings suggested that the extent of facial and head movements was largely perceived as a gauge of emotional arousal. In Experiment 3, observers rated point-light displays of scrambled movements. Configural information was removed in these stimuli but velocity and acceleration were retained. Exaggerated scrambled movements were likely to be associated with happiness or irritation whereas unexaggerated scrambled movements were more likely to be identified as “neutral.” An analysis of singers' facial movements revealed systematic changes as a function of the emotional intentions of singers. The findings confirm the central role of facial expressions in vocal emotional communication, and highlight individual differences between singers in the amount and intelligibility of facial movements made before, during, and after vocalization.