Quantitative anatomical analysis of facial expression using a 3D motion capture system: Application to cosmetic surgery and facial recognition technology.

PubMed

Lee, Jae-Gi; Jung, Su-Jin; Lee, Hyung-Jin; Seo, Jung-Hyuk; Choi, You-Jin; Bae, Hyun-Sook; Park, Jong-Tae; Kim, Hee-Jin

2015-09-01

The topography of the facial muscles differs between males and females and among individuals of the same gender. To explain the unique expressions that people can make, it is important to define the shapes of the muscle, their associations with the skin, and their relative functions. Three-dimensional (3D) motion-capture analysis, often used to study facial expression, was used in this study to identify characteristic skin movements in males and females when they made six representative basic expressions. The movements of 44 reflective markers (RMs) positioned on anatomical landmarks were measured. Their mean displacement was large in males [ranging from 14.31 mm (fear) to 41.15 mm (anger)], and 3.35-4.76 mm smaller in females [ranging from 9.55 mm (fear) to 37.80 mm (anger)]. The percentages of RMs involved in the ten highest mean maximum displacement values in making at least one expression were 47.6% in males and 61.9% in females. The movements of the RMs were larger in males than females but were more limited. Expanding our understanding of facial expression requires morphological studies of facial muscles and studies of related complex functionality. Conducting these together with quantitative analyses, as in the present study, will yield data valuable for medicine, dentistry, and engineering, for example, for surgical operations on facial regions, software for predicting changes in facial features and expressions after corrective surgery, and the development of face-mimicking robots. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Enhancement pattern of the normal facial nerve at 3.0 T temporal MRI.

PubMed

Hong, H S; Yi, B-H; Cha, J-G; Park, S-J; Kim, D H; Lee, H K; Lee, J-D

2010-02-01

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the enhancement pattern of the normal facial nerve at 3.0 T temporal MRI. We reviewed the medical records of 20 patients and evaluated 40 clinically normal facial nerves demonstrated by 3.0 T temporal MRI. The grade of enhancement of the facial nerve was visually scaled from 0 to 3. The patients comprised 11 men and 9 women, and the mean age was 39.7 years. The reasons for the MRI were sudden hearing loss (11 patients), Méniàre's disease (6) and tinnitus (7). Temporal MR scans were obtained by fluid-attenuated inversion-recovery (FLAIR) and diffusion-weighted imaging of the brain; three-dimensional (3D) fast imaging employing steady-state acquisition (FIESTA) images of the temporal bone with a 0.77 mm thickness, and pre-contrast and contrast-enhanced 3D spoiled gradient record acquisition in the steady state (SPGR) of the temporal bone with a 1 mm thickness, were obtained with 3.0 T MR scanning. 40 nerves (100%) were visibly enhanced along at least one segment of the facial nerve. The enhanced segments included the geniculate ganglion (77.5%), tympanic segment (37.5%) and mastoid segment (100%). Even the facial nerve in the internal auditory canal (15%) and labyrinthine segments (5%) showed mild enhancement. The use of high-resolution, high signal-to-noise ratio (with 3 T MRI), thin-section contrast-enhanced 3D SPGR sequences showed enhancement of the normal facial nerve along the whole course of the nerve; however, only mild enhancement was observed in areas associated with acute neuritis, namely the canalicular and labyrinthine segment.

A computer analysis of reflex eyelid motion in normal subjects and in facial neuropathy.

PubMed

Somia, N N; Rash, G S; Epstein, E E; Wachowiak, M; Sundine, M J; Stremel, R W; Barker, J H; Gossman, D

2000-12-01

To demonstrate how computerized eyelid motion analysis can quantify the human reflex blink. Seventeen normal subjects and 10 patients with unilateral facial nerve paralysis were analyzed. Eyelid closure is currently evaluated by systems primarily designed to assess lower/midfacial movements. The methods are subjective, difficult to reproduce, and measure only volitional closure. Reflex closure is responsible for eye hydration, and its evaluation demands dynamic analysis. A 60Hz video camera incorporated into a helmet was used to analyze blinking. Reflective markers on the forehead and eyelids allowed for the dynamic measurement of the reflex blink. Eyelid displacement, velocity and acceleration were calculated. The degree of synchrony between bilateral blinks was also determined. This study demonstrates that video motion analysis can describe normal and altered eyelid motions in a quantifiable manner. To our knowledge, this is the first study to measure dynamic reflex blinks. Eyelid closure may now be evaluated in kinematic terms. This technique could increase understanding of eyelid motion and permit more accurate evaluation of eyelid function. Dynamic eyelid evaluation has immediate applications in the treatment of facial palsy affecting the reflex blink. Relevance No method has been developed that objectively quantifies dynamic eyelid closure. Methods currently in use evaluate only volitional eyelid closure, and are based on direct and indirect observer assessments. These methods are subjective and are incapable of analyzing dynamic eyelid movements, which are critical to maintenance of corneal hydration and comfort. A system that quantifies eyelid kinematics can provide a functional analysis of blink disorders and an objective evaluation of their treatment(s).

A unified probabilistic framework for spontaneous facial action modeling and understanding.

PubMed

Tong, Yan; Chen, Jixu; Ji, Qiang

2010-02-01

Facial expression is a natural and powerful means of human communication. Recognizing spontaneous facial actions, however, is very challenging due to subtle facial deformation, frequent head movements, and ambiguous and uncertain facial motion measurements. Because of these challenges, current research in facial expression recognition is limited to posed expressions and often in frontal view. A spontaneous facial expression is characterized by rigid head movements and nonrigid facial muscular movements. More importantly, it is the coherent and consistent spatiotemporal interactions among rigid and nonrigid facial motions that produce a meaningful facial expression. Recognizing this fact, we introduce a unified probabilistic facial action model based on the Dynamic Bayesian network (DBN) to simultaneously and coherently represent rigid and nonrigid facial motions, their spatiotemporal dependencies, and their image measurements. Advanced machine learning methods are introduced to learn the model based on both training data and subjective prior knowledge. Given the model and the measurements of facial motions, facial action recognition is accomplished through probabilistic inference by systematically integrating visual measurements with the facial action model. Experiments show that compared to the state-of-the-art techniques, the proposed system yields significant improvements in recognizing both rigid and nonrigid facial motions, especially for spontaneous facial expressions.

Learning the moves: the effect of familiarity and facial motion on person recognition across large changes in viewing format.

PubMed

Roark, Dana A; O'Toole, Alice J; Abdi, Hervé; Barrett, Susan E

2006-01-01

Familiarity with a face or person can support recognition in tasks that require generalization to novel viewing contexts. Using naturalistic viewing conditions requiring recognition of people from face or whole body gait stimuli, we investigated the effects of familiarity, facial motion, and direction of learning/test transfer on person recognition. Participants were familiarized with previously unknown people from gait videos and were tested on faces (experiment 1a) or were familiarized with faces and were tested with gait videos (experiment 1b). Recognition was more accurate when learning from the face and testing with the gait videos, than when learning from the gait videos and testing with the face. The repetition of a single stimulus, either the face or gait, produced strong recognition gains across transfer conditions. Also, the presentation of moving faces resulted in better performance than that of static faces. In experiment 2, we investigated the role of facial motion further by testing recognition with static profile images. Motion provided no benefit for recognition, indicating that structure-from-motion is an unlikely source of the motion advantage found in the first set of experiments.

Glucose enhancement of a facial recognition task in young adults.

PubMed

Metzger, M M

2000-02-01

Numerous studies have reported that glucose administration enhances memory processes in both elderly and young adult subjects. Although these studies have utilized a variety of procedures and paradigms, investigations of both young and elderly subjects have typically used verbal tasks (word list recall, paragraph recall, etc.). In the present study, the effect of glucose consumption on a nonverbal, facial recognition task in young adults was examined. Lemonade sweetened with either glucose (50 g) or saccharin (23.7 mg) was consumed by college students (mean age of 21.1 years) 15 min prior to a facial recognition task. The task consisted of a familiarization phase in which subjects were presented with "target" faces, followed immediately by a recognition phase in which subjects had to identify the targets among a random array of familiar target and novel "distractor" faces. Statistical analysis indicated that there were no differences on hit rate (target identification) for subjects who consumed either saccharin or glucose prior to the test. However, further analyses revealed that subjects who consumed glucose committed significantly fewer false alarms and had (marginally) higher d-prime scores (a signal detection measure) compared to subjects who consumed saccharin prior to the test. These results parallel a previous report demonstrating glucose enhancement of a facial recognition task in probable Alzheimer's patients; however, this is believed to be the first demonstration of glucose enhancement for a facial recognition task in healthy, young adults.

Anodal tDCS targeting the right orbitofrontal cortex enhances facial expression recognition

PubMed Central

Murphy, Jillian M.; Ridley, Nicole J.; Vercammen, Ans

2015-01-01

The orbitofrontal cortex (OFC) has been implicated in the capacity to accurately recognise facial expressions. The aim of the current study was to determine if anodal transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) targeting the right OFC in healthy adults would enhance facial expression recognition, compared with a sham condition. Across two counterbalanced sessions of tDCS (i.e. anodal and sham), 20 undergraduate participants (18 female) completed a facial expression labelling task comprising angry, disgusted, fearful, happy, sad and neutral expressions, and a control (social judgement) task comprising the same expressions. Responses on the labelling task were scored for accuracy, median reaction time and overall efficiency (i.e. combined accuracy and reaction time). Anodal tDCS targeting the right OFC enhanced facial expression recognition, reflected in greater efficiency and speed of recognition across emotions, relative to the sham condition. In contrast, there was no effect of tDCS to responses on the control task. This is the first study to demonstrate that anodal tDCS targeting the right OFC boosts facial expression recognition. This finding provides a solid foundation for future research to examine the efficacy of this technique as a means to treat facial expression recognition deficits, particularly in individuals with OFC damage or dysfunction. PMID:25971602

Cerebellum and processing of negative facial emotions: cerebellar transcranial DC stimulation specifically enhances the emotional recognition of facial anger and sadness.

PubMed

Ferrucci, Roberta; Giannicola, Gaia; Rosa, Manuela; Fumagalli, Manuela; Boggio, Paulo Sergio; Hallett, Mark; Zago, Stefano; Priori, Alberto

2012-01-01

Some evidence suggests that the cerebellum participates in the complex network processing emotional facial expression. To evaluate the role of the cerebellum in recognising facial expressions we delivered transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) over the cerebellum and prefrontal cortex. A facial emotion recognition task was administered to 21 healthy subjects before and after cerebellar tDCS; we also tested subjects with a visual attention task and a visual analogue scale (VAS) for mood. Anodal and cathodal cerebellar tDCS both significantly enhanced sensory processing in response to negative facial expressions (anodal tDCS, p=.0021; cathodal tDCS, p=.018), but left positive emotion and neutral facial expressions unchanged (p>.05). tDCS over the right prefrontal cortex left facial expressions of both negative and positive emotion unchanged. These findings suggest that the cerebellum is specifically involved in processing facial expressions of negative emotion.

Combinatorial treatments enhance recovery following facial nerve crush.

PubMed

Sharma, Nijee; Moeller, Carl W; Marzo, Sam J; Jones, Kathryn J; Foecking, Eileen M

2010-08-01

To investigate the effects of various combinatorial treatments, consisting of a tapering dose of prednisone (P), a brief period of nerve electrical stimulation (ES), and systemic testosterone propionate (TP) on improving functional recovery following an intratemporal facial nerve crush injury. Prospective, controlled animal study. After a right intratemporal facial nerve crush, adult male Sprague-Dawley rats were divided into the following eight treatment groups: 1) no treatment, 2) P only, 3) ES only, 4) ES + P, 5) TP only, 6) TP + P, 7) ES + TP, and 8) ES + TP + P. For each group n = 4-8. Recovery of the eyeblink reflex and vibrissae orientation and movement were assessed. Changes in peak amplitude and latency of evoked response, in response to facial nerve stimulation, was also recorded weekly. : Brief ES of the proximal nerve stump most effectively accelerated the initiation of functional recovery. Also, ES or TP treatments enhanced recovery of some functional parameters more than P treatment. When administered alone, none of the three treatments improved recovery of complete facial function. Only the combinatorial treatment of ES + TP, regardless of the presence of P, accelerated complete functional recovery and return of normal motor nerve conduction. Our findings suggest that a combinatorial treatment strategy of using brief ES and TP together promises to be an effective therapeutic intervention for promoting regeneration following facial nerve injury. Administration of P neither augments nor hinders recovery.

Facial Expression Enhances Emotion Perception Compared to Vocal Prosody: Behavioral and fMRI Studies.

PubMed

Zhang, Heming; Chen, Xuhai; Chen, Shengdong; Li, Yansong; Chen, Changming; Long, Quanshan; Yuan, Jiajin

2018-05-09

Facial and vocal expressions are essential modalities mediating the perception of emotion and social communication. Nonetheless, currently little is known about how emotion perception and its neural substrates differ across facial expression and vocal prosody. To clarify this issue, functional MRI scans were acquired in Study 1, in which participants were asked to discriminate the valence of emotional expression (angry, happy or neutral) from facial, vocal, or bimodal stimuli. In Study 2, we used an affective priming task (unimodal materials as primers and bimodal materials as target) and participants were asked to rate the intensity, valence, and arousal of the targets. Study 1 showed higher accuracy and shorter response latencies in the facial than in the vocal modality for a happy expression. Whole-brain analysis showed enhanced activation during facial compared to vocal emotions in the inferior temporal-occipital regions. Region of interest analysis showed a higher percentage signal change for facial than for vocal anger in the superior temporal sulcus. Study 2 showed that facial relative to vocal priming of anger had a greater influence on perceived emotion for bimodal targets, irrespective of the target valence. These findings suggest that facial expression is associated with enhanced emotion perception compared to equivalent vocal prosodies.

A new method for automatic tracking of facial landmarks in 3D motion captured images (4D).

PubMed

Al-Anezi, T; Khambay, B; Peng, M J; O'Leary, E; Ju, X; Ayoub, A

2013-01-01

The aim of this study was to validate the automatic tracking of facial landmarks in 3D image sequences. 32 subjects (16 males and 16 females) aged 18-35 years were recruited. 23 anthropometric landmarks were marked on the face of each subject with non-permanent ink using a 0.5mm pen. The subjects were asked to perform three facial animations (maximal smile, lip purse and cheek puff) from rest position. Each animation was captured by the 3D imaging system. A single operator manually digitised the landmarks on the 3D facial models and their locations were compared with those of the automatically tracked ones. To investigate the accuracy of manual digitisation, the operator re-digitised the same set of 3D images of 10 subjects (5 male and 5 female) at 1 month interval. The discrepancies in x, y and z coordinates between the 3D position of the manual digitised landmarks and that of the automatic tracked facial landmarks were within 0.17mm. The mean distance between the manually digitised and the automatically tracked landmarks using the tracking software was within 0.55 mm. The automatic tracking of facial landmarks demonstrated satisfactory accuracy which would facilitate the analysis of the dynamic motion during facial animations. Copyright © 2012 International Association of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Automatic facial animation parameters extraction in MPEG-4 visual communication

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yang, Chenggen; Gong, Wanwei; Yu, Lu

2002-01-01

Facial Animation Parameters (FAPs) are defined in MPEG-4 to animate a facial object. The algorithm proposed in this paper to extract these FAPs is applied to very low bit-rate video communication, in which the scene is composed of a head-and-shoulder object with complex background. This paper addresses the algorithm to automatically extract all FAPs needed to animate a generic facial model, estimate the 3D motion of head by points. The proposed algorithm extracts human facial region by color segmentation and intra-frame and inter-frame edge detection. Facial structure and edge distribution of facial feature such as vertical and horizontal gradient histograms are used to locate the facial feature region. Parabola and circle deformable templates are employed to fit facial feature and extract a part of FAPs. A special data structure is proposed to describe deformable templates to reduce time consumption for computing energy functions. Another part of FAPs, 3D rigid head motion vectors, are estimated by corresponding-points method. A 3D head wire-frame model provides facial semantic information for selection of proper corresponding points, which helps to increase accuracy of 3D rigid object motion estimation.

The Perception of Facial Expressions and Stimulus Motion by Two- and Five-Month-Old Infants Using Holographic Stimuli.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Nelson, Charles A.; Horowitz, Frances Degen

1983-01-01

Holograms of faces were used to study two- and five-month-old infants' discriminations of changes in facial expression and pose when the stimulus was seen to move or to remain stationary. While no evidence was found suggesting that infants preferred the moving face, evidence indicated that motion contrasts facilitate face recognition. (Author/RH)

Expressive facial animation synthesis by learning speech coarticulation and expression spaces.

PubMed

Deng, Zhigang; Neumann, Ulrich; Lewis, J P; Kim, Tae-Yong; Bulut, Murtaza; Narayanan, Shrikanth

2006-01-01

Synthesizing expressive facial animation is a very challenging topic within the graphics community. In this paper, we present an expressive facial animation synthesis system enabled by automated learning from facial motion capture data. Accurate 3D motions of the markers on the face of a human subject are captured while he/she recites a predesigned corpus, with specific spoken and visual expressions. We present a novel motion capture mining technique that "learns" speech coarticulation models for diphones and triphones from the recorded data. A Phoneme-Independent Expression Eigenspace (PIEES) that encloses the dynamic expression signals is constructed by motion signal processing (phoneme-based time-warping and subtraction) and Principal Component Analysis (PCA) reduction. New expressive facial animations are synthesized as follows: First, the learned coarticulation models are concatenated to synthesize neutral visual speech according to novel speech input, then a texture-synthesis-based approach is used to generate a novel dynamic expression signal from the PIEES model, and finally the synthesized expression signal is blended with the synthesized neutral visual speech to create the final expressive facial animation. Our experiments demonstrate that the system can effectively synthesize realistic expressive facial animation.

Classifying Facial Actions

PubMed Central

Donato, Gianluca; Bartlett, Marian Stewart; Hager, Joseph C.; Ekman, Paul; Sejnowski, Terrence J.

2010-01-01

The Facial Action Coding System (FACS) [23] is an objective method for quantifying facial movement in terms of component actions. This system is widely used in behavioral investigations of emotion, cognitive processes, and social interaction. The coding is presently performed by highly trained human experts. This paper explores and compares techniques for automatically recognizing facial actions in sequences of images. These techniques include analysis of facial motion through estimation of optical flow; holistic spatial analysis, such as principal component analysis, independent component analysis, local feature analysis, and linear discriminant analysis; and methods based on the outputs of local filters, such as Gabor wavelet representations and local principal components. Performance of these systems is compared to naive and expert human subjects. Best performances were obtained using the Gabor wavelet representation and the independent component representation, both of which achieved 96 percent accuracy for classifying 12 facial actions of the upper and lower face. The results provide converging evidence for the importance of using local filters, high spatial frequencies, and statistical independence for classifying facial actions. PMID:21188284

Dynamic Displays Enhance the Ability to Discriminate Genuine and Posed Facial Expressions of Emotion

PubMed Central

Namba, Shushi; Kabir, Russell S.; Miyatani, Makoto; Nakao, Takashi

2018-01-01

Accurately gauging the emotional experience of another person is important for navigating interpersonal interactions. This study investigated whether perceivers are capable of distinguishing between unintentionally expressed (genuine) and intentionally manipulated (posed) facial expressions attributed to four major emotions: amusement, disgust, sadness, and surprise. Sensitivity to this discrimination was explored by comparing unstaged dynamic and static facial stimuli and analyzing the results with signal detection theory. Participants indicated whether facial stimuli presented on a screen depicted a person showing a given emotion and whether that person was feeling a given emotion. The results showed that genuine displays were evaluated more as felt expressions than posed displays for all target emotions presented. In addition, sensitivity to the perception of emotional experience, or discriminability, was enhanced in dynamic facial displays, but was less pronounced in the case of static displays. This finding indicates that dynamic information in facial displays contributes to the ability to accurately infer the emotional experiences of another person. PMID:29896135

Enhanced facial recognition for thermal imagery using polarimetric imaging.

PubMed

Gurton, Kristan P; Yuffa, Alex J; Videen, Gorden W

2014-07-01

We present a series of long-wave-infrared (LWIR) polarimetric-based thermal images of facial profiles in which polarization-state information of the image-forming radiance is retained and displayed. The resultant polarimetric images show enhanced facial features, additional texture, and details that are not present in corresponding conventional thermal imagery. It has been generally thought that conventional thermal imagery (MidIR or LWIR) could not produce the detailed spatial information required for reliable human identification due to the so-called "ghosting" effect often seen in thermal imagery of human subjects. By using polarimetric information, we are able to extract subtle surface features of the human face, thus improving subject identification. Polarimetric image sets considered include the conventional thermal intensity image, S0, the two Stokes images, S1 and S2, and a Stokes image product called the degree-of-linear-polarization image.

Quantitative analysis of facial paralysis using local binary patterns in biomedical videos.

PubMed

He, Shu; Soraghan, John J; O'Reilly, Brian F; Xing, Dongshan

2009-07-01

Facial paralysis is the loss of voluntary muscle movement of one side of the face. A quantitative, objective, and reliable assessment system would be an invaluable tool for clinicians treating patients with this condition. This paper presents a novel framework for objective measurement of facial paralysis. The motion information in the horizontal and vertical directions and the appearance features on the apex frames are extracted based on the local binary patterns (LBPs) on the temporal-spatial domain in each facial region. These features are temporally and spatially enhanced by the application of novel block processing schemes. A multiresolution extension of uniform LBP is proposed to efficiently combine the micropatterns and large-scale patterns into a feature vector. The symmetry of facial movements is measured by the resistor-average distance (RAD) between LBP features extracted from the two sides of the face. Support vector machine is applied to provide quantitative evaluation of facial paralysis based on the House-Brackmann (H-B) scale. The proposed method is validated by experiments with 197 subject videos, which demonstrates its accuracy and efficiency.

Objective grading of facial paralysis using Local Binary Patterns in video processing.

PubMed

He, Shu; Soraghan, John J; O'Reilly, Brian F

2008-01-01

This paper presents a novel framework for objective measurement of facial paralysis in biomedial videos. The motion information in the horizontal and vertical directions and the appearance features on the apex frames are extracted based on the Local Binary Patterns (LBP) on the temporal-spatial domain in each facial region. These features are temporally and spatially enhanced by the application of block schemes. A multi-resolution extension of uniform LBP is proposed to efficiently combine the micro-patterns and large-scale patterns into a feature vector, which increases the algorithmic robustness and reduces noise effects while still retaining computational simplicity. The symmetry of facial movements is measured by the Resistor-Average Distance (RAD) between LBP features extracted from the two sides of the face. Support Vector Machine (SVM) is applied to provide quantitative evaluation of facial paralysis based on the House-Brackmann (H-B) Scale. The proposed method is validated by experiments with 197 subject videos, which demonstrates its accuracy and efficiency.

The interaction between embodiment and empathy in facial expression recognition

PubMed Central

Jospe, Karine; Flöel, Agnes; Lavidor, Michal

2018-01-01

Abstract Previous research has demonstrated that the Action-Observation Network (AON) is involved in both emotional-embodiment (empathy) and action-embodiment mechanisms. In this study, we hypothesized that interfering with the AON will impair action recognition and that this impairment will be modulated by empathy levels. In Experiment 1 (n = 90), participants were asked to recognize facial expressions while their facial motion was restricted. In Experiment 2 (n = 50), we interfered with the AON by applying transcranial Direct Current Stimulation to the motor cortex. In both experiments, we found that interfering with the AON impaired the performance of participants with high empathy levels; however, for the first time, we demonstrated that the interference enhanced the performance of participants with low empathy. This novel finding suggests that the embodiment module may be flexible, and that it can be enhanced in individuals with low empathy by simple manipulation of motor activation. PMID:29378022

Task-dependent enhancement of facial expression and identity representations in human cortex.

PubMed

Dobs, Katharina; Schultz, Johannes; Bülthoff, Isabelle; Gardner, Justin L

2018-05-15

What cortical mechanisms allow humans to easily discern the expression or identity of a face? Subjects detected changes in expression or identity of a stream of dynamic faces while we measured BOLD responses from topographically and functionally defined areas throughout the visual hierarchy. Responses in dorsal areas increased during the expression task, whereas responses in ventral areas increased during the identity task, consistent with previous studies. Similar to ventral areas, early visual areas showed increased activity during the identity task. If visual responses are weighted by perceptual mechanisms according to their magnitude, these increased responses would lead to improved attentional selection of the task-appropriate facial aspect. Alternatively, increased responses could be a signature of a sensitivity enhancement mechanism that improves representations of the attended facial aspect. Consistent with the latter sensitivity enhancement mechanism, attending to expression led to enhanced decoding of exemplars of expression both in early visual and dorsal areas relative to attending identity. Similarly, decoding identity exemplars when attending to identity was improved in dorsal and ventral areas. We conclude that attending to expression or identity of dynamic faces is associated with increased selectivity in representations consistent with sensitivity enhancement. Copyright © 2018 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Slowing down Presentation of Facial Movements and Vocal Sounds Enhances Facial Expression Recognition and Induces Facial-Vocal Imitation in Children with Autism

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Tardif, Carole; Laine, France; Rodriguez, Melissa; Gepner, Bruno

2007-01-01

This study examined the effects of slowing down presentation of facial expressions and their corresponding vocal sounds on facial expression recognition and facial and/or vocal imitation in children with autism. Twelve autistic children and twenty-four normal control children were presented with emotional and non-emotional facial expressions on…

Evolution of the 3-dimensional video system for facial motion analysis: ten years' experiences and recent developments.

PubMed

Tzou, Chieh-Han John; Pona, Igor; Placheta, Eva; Hold, Alina; Michaelidou, Maria; Artner, Nicole; Kropatsch, Walter; Gerber, Hans; Frey, Manfred

2012-08-01

Since the implementation of the computer-aided system for assessing facial palsy in 1999 by Frey et al (Plast Reconstr Surg. 1999;104:2032-2039), no similar system that can make an objective, three-dimensional, quantitative analysis of facial movements has been marketed. This system has been in routine use since its launch, and it has proven to be reliable, clinically applicable, and therapeutically accurate. With the cooperation of international partners, more than 200 patients were analyzed. Recent developments in computer vision--mostly in the area of generative face models, applying active--appearance models (and extensions), optical flow, and video-tracking-have been successfully incorporated to automate the prototype system. Further market-ready development and a business partner will be needed to enable the production of this system to enhance clinical methodology in diagnostic and prognostic accuracy as a personalized therapy concept, leading to better results and higher quality of life for patients with impaired facial function.

Chondromyxoid fibroma of the mastoid facial nerve canal mimicking a facial nerve schwannoma.

PubMed

Thompson, Andrew L; Bharatha, Aditya; Aviv, Richard I; Nedzelski, Julian; Chen, Joseph; Bilbao, Juan M; Wong, John; Saad, Reda; Symons, Sean P

2009-07-01

Chondromyxoid fibroma of the skull base is a rare entity. Involvement of the temporal bone is particularly rare. We present an unusual case of progressive facial nerve paralysis with imaging and clinical findings most suggestive of a facial nerve schwannoma. The lesion was tubular in appearance, expanded the mastoid facial nerve canal, protruded out of the stylomastoid foramen, and enhanced homogeneously. The only unusual imaging feature was minor calcification within the tumor. Surgery revealed an irregular, cystic lesion. Pathology diagnosed a chondromyxoid fibroma involving the mastoid portion of the facial nerve canal, destroying the facial nerve.

Contralateral botulinum toxin injection to improve facial asymmetry after acute facial paralysis.

PubMed

Kim, Jin

2013-02-01

The application of botulinum toxin to the healthy side of the face in patients with long-standing facial paralysis has been shown to be a minimally invasive technique that improves facial symmetry at rest and during facial motion, but our experience using botulinum toxin therapy for facial sequelae prompted the idea that botulinum toxin might be useful in acute cases of facial paralysis, leading to improve facial asymmetry. In cases in which medical or surgical treatment options are limited because of existing medical problems or advanced age, most patients with acute facial palsy are advised to await spontaneous recovery or are informed that no effective intervention exists. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effect of botulinum toxin treatment for facial asymmetry in 18 patients after acute facial palsy who could not be optimally treated by medical or surgical management because of severe medical or other problems. From 2009 to 2011, nine patients with Bell's palsy, 5 with herpes zoster oticus and 4 with traumatic facial palsy (10 men and 8 women; age range, 22-82 yr; mean, 50.8 yr) participated in this study. Botulinum toxin A (Botox; Allergan Incorporated, Irvine, CA, USA) was injected using a tuberculin syringe with a 27-gauge needle. The amount injected per site varied from 2.5 to 3 U, and the total dose used per patient was 32 to 68 U (mean, 47.5 +/- 8.4 U). After administration of a single dose of botulinum toxin A on the nonparalyzed side of 18 patients with acute facial paralysis, marked relief of facial asymmetry was observed in 8 patients within 1 month of injection. Decreased facial asymmetry and strengthened facial function on the paralyzed side led to an increased HB and SB grade within 6 months after injection. Use of botulinum toxin after acute facial palsy cases is of great value. Such therapy decreases the relative hyperkinesis contralateral to the paralysis, leading to greater symmetric function. Especially in patients with medical

Social vision: sustained perceptual enhancement of affective facial cues in social anxiety

PubMed Central

McTeague, Lisa M.; Shumen, Joshua R.; Wieser, Matthias J.; Lang, Peter J.; Keil, Andreas

2010-01-01

Heightened perception of facial cues is at the core of many theories of social behavior and its disorders. In the present study, we continuously measured electrocortical dynamics in human visual cortex, as evoked by happy, neutral, fearful, and angry faces. Thirty-seven participants endorsing high versus low generalized social anxiety (upper and lower tertiles of 2,104 screened undergraduates) viewed naturalistic faces flickering at 17.5 Hz to evoke steady-state visual evoked potentials (ssVEPs), recorded from 129 scalp electrodes. Electrophysiological data were evaluated in the time-frequency domain after linear source space projection using the minimum norm method. Source estimation indicated an early visual cortical origin of the face-evoked ssVEP, which showed sustained amplitude enhancement for emotional expressions specifically in individuals with pervasive social anxiety. Participants in the low symptom group showed no such sensitivity, and a correlational analysis across the entire sample revealed a strong relationship between self-reported interpersonal anxiety/avoidance and enhanced visual cortical response amplitude for emotional, versus neutral expressions. This pattern was maintained across the 3500 ms viewing epoch, suggesting that temporally sustained, heightened perceptual bias towards affective facial cues is associated with generalized social anxiety. PMID:20832490

Enhancing facial aesthetics with muscle retraining exercises-a review.

PubMed

D'souza, Raina; Kini, Ashwini; D'souza, Henston; Shetty, Nitin; Shetty, Omkar

2014-08-01

Facial attractiveness plays a key role in social interaction. 'Smile' is not only a single category of facial behaviour, but also the emotion of frank joy which is expressed on the face by the combined contraction of the muscles involved. When a patient visits the dental clinic for aesthetic reasons, the dentist considers not only the chief complaint but also the overall harmony of the face. This article describes muscle retraining exercises to achieve control over facial movements and improve facial appearance which may be considered following any type of dental rehabilitation. Muscle conditioning, training and strengthening through daily exercises will help to counter balance the aging effects.

Enhancing Facial Aesthetics with Muscle Retraining Exercises-A Review

PubMed Central

D’souza, Raina; Kini, Ashwini; D’souza, Henston; Shetty, Omkar

2014-01-01

Facial attractiveness plays a key role in social interaction. ‘Smile’ is not only a single category of facial behaviour, but also the emotion of frank joy which is expressed on the face by the combined contraction of the muscles involved. When a patient visits the dental clinic for aesthetic reasons, the dentist considers not only the chief complaint but also the overall harmony of the face. This article describes muscle retraining exercises to achieve control over facial movements and improve facial appearance which may be considered following any type of dental rehabilitation. Muscle conditioning, training and strengthening through daily exercises will help to counter balance the aging effects. PMID:25302289

Topographic enhancement of tidal motion in the western Barents Sea

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Kowalik, Z.; Proshutinsky, A. YU.

1995-01-01

A high-resolution numerical lattice is used to study a topographically trapped motion around islands and shallow banks of the western Barents Sea caused both by the semidiurnal and diurnal tidal waves. Observations and model computations in the vicinity of Bear Island show well-developed trapped motion with distinctive tidal oscillatory motion. Numerical investigations demonstrate that one source of the trapped motion is tidal current rectification over shallow topgraphy. Tidal motion supports residual currents of the order of 8 cm/s around Bear Island and shallow Spitsbergenbanken. The structures of enhanced tidal currents for the semidiurnal components are generated in the shallow areas due to topographic amplification. In the diurnal band of oscillations the maximum current is associated with the shelf wave occurrence. Residual currents due to diurnal tides occur at both the shallow areas and the shelf slope in regions of maximum topographic gradients. Surface manifestation of the diurnal current enhancement is the local maximum of tidal amplitude at the shelf break of the order of 5 to 10 cm. Tidal current enhancement and tidally generated residual currents in the Bear Island and Spitsbergenabanken regions cause an increased generation of ice leads, ridges and, trapped motion of the ice floes.

Do Dynamic Compared to Static Facial Expressions of Happiness and Anger Reveal Enhanced Facial Mimicry?

PubMed Central

Rymarczyk, Krystyna; Żurawski, Łukasz; Jankowiak-Siuda, Kamila; Szatkowska, Iwona

2016-01-01

Facial mimicry is the spontaneous response to others’ facial expressions by mirroring or matching the interaction partner. Recent evidence suggested that mimicry may not be only an automatic reaction but could be dependent on many factors, including social context, type of task in which the participant is engaged, or stimulus properties (dynamic vs static presentation). In the present study, we investigated the impact of dynamic facial expression and sex differences on facial mimicry and judgment of emotional intensity. Electromyography recordings were recorded from the corrugator supercilii, zygomaticus major, and orbicularis oculi muscles during passive observation of static and dynamic images of happiness and anger. The ratings of the emotional intensity of facial expressions were also analysed. As predicted, dynamic expressions were rated as more intense than static ones. Compared to static images, dynamic displays of happiness also evoked stronger activity in the zygomaticus major and orbicularis oculi, suggesting that subjects experienced positive emotion. No muscles showed mimicry activity in response to angry faces. Moreover, we found that women exhibited greater zygomaticus major muscle activity in response to dynamic happiness stimuli than static stimuli. Our data support the hypothesis that people mimic positive emotions and confirm the importance of dynamic stimuli in some emotional processing. PMID:27390867

A Facial Control Method Using Emotional Parameters in Sensibility Robot

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shibata, Hiroshi; Kanoh, Masayoshi; Kato, Shohei; Kunitachi, Tsutomu; Itoh, Hidenori

The “Ifbot” robot communicates with people by considering its own “emotions”. Ifbot has many facial expressions to communicate enjoyment. These are used to express its internal emotions, purposes, reactions caused by external stimulus, and entertainment such as singing songs. All these facial expressions are developed by designers manually. Using this approach, we must design all facial motions, if we want Ifbot to express them. It, however, is not realistic. We have therefore developed a system which convert Ifbot's emotions to its facial expressions automatically. In this paper, we propose a method for creating Ifbot's facial expressions from parameters, emotional parameters, which handle its internal emotions computationally.

Diagnosis and surgical outcomes of intraparotid facial nerve schwannoma showing normal facial nerve function.

PubMed

Lee, D W; Byeon, H K; Chung, H P; Choi, E C; Kim, S-H; Park, Y M

2013-07-01

The findings of intraparotid facial nerve schwannoma (FNS) using preoperative diagnostic tools, including ultrasonography (US)-guided fine needle aspiration biopsy, computed tomography (CT) scan, and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), were analyzed to determine if there are any useful findings that might suggest the presence of a lesion. Treatment guidelines are suggested. The medical records of 15 patients who were diagnosed with an intraparotid FNS were retrospectively analyzed. US and CT scans provide clinicians with only limited information; gadolinium enhanced T1-weighted images from MRI provide more specific findings. Tumors could be removed successfully with surgical exploration, preserving facial nerve function at the same time. Gadolinium-enhanced T1-weighted MRI showed more characteristic findings for the diagnosis of intraparotid FNS. Intraparotid FNS without facial palsy can be diagnosed with MRI preoperatively, and surgical exploration is a suitable treatment modality which can remove the tumor and preserve facial nerve function. Crown Copyright © 2013. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Facial immersion in cold water enhances cerebral blood velocity during breath-hold exercise in humans.

PubMed

Kjeld, Thomas; Pott, Frank C; Secher, Niels H

2009-04-01

The diving response is initiated by apnea and facial immersion in cold water and includes, besides bradycardia, peripheral vasoconstriction, while cerebral perfusion may be enhanced. This study evaluated whether facial immersion in 10 degrees C water has an independent influence on cerebral perfusion evaluated as the middle cerebral artery mean flow velocity (MCA V(mean)) during exercise in nine male subjects. At rest, a breath hold of maximum duration increased the arterial carbon dioxide tension (Pa(CO(2))) from 4.2 to 6.7 kPa and MCA V(mean) from 37 to 103 cm/s (mean; approximately 178%; P < 0.001). Similarly, during 100-W exercise, a breath hold increased Pa(CO(2)) from 5.9 to 8.2 kPa (P < 0.001) and MCA V(mean) from 55 to 113 cm/s ( approximately 105%), and facial immersion further increased MCA V(mean) to 122 cm/s ( approximately 88%; both P < 0.001). MCA V(mean) also increased during 180-W exercise (from 47 to 53 cm/s), and this increment became larger with facial immersion (76 cm/s, approximately 62%; P < 0.001), although Pa(CO(2)) did not significantly change. These results indicate that a breath hold diverts blood toward the brain with a >100% increase in MCA V(mean), largely because Pa(CO(2)) increases, but the increase in MCA V(mean) becomes larger when combined with facial immersion in cold water independent of Pa(CO(2)).

The identification of unfolding facial expressions.

PubMed

Fiorentini, Chiara; Schmidt, Susanna; Viviani, Paolo

2012-01-01

We asked whether the identification of emotional facial expressions (FEs) involves the simultaneous perception of the facial configuration or the detection of emotion-specific diagnostic cues. We recorded at high speed (500 frames s-1) the unfolding of the FE in five actors, each expressing six emotions (anger, surprise, happiness, disgust, fear, sadness). Recordings were coded every 10 frames (20 ms of real time) with the Facial Action Coding System (FACS, Ekman et al 2002, Salt Lake City, UT: Research Nexus eBook) to identify the facial actions contributing to each expression, and their intensity changes over time. Recordings were shown in slow motion (1/20 of recording speed) to one hundred observers in a forced-choice identification task. Participants were asked to identify the emotion during the presentation as soon as they felt confident to do so. Responses were recorded along with the associated response times (RTs). The RT probability density functions for both correct and incorrect responses were correlated with the facial activity during the presentation. There were systematic correlations between facial activities, response probabilities, and RT peaks, and significant differences in RT distributions for correct and incorrect answers. The results show that a reliable response is possible long before the full FE configuration is reached. This suggests that identification is reached by integrating in time individual diagnostic facial actions, and does not require perceiving the full apex configuration.

Evaluating Perceived Naturalness of Facial Expression After Fillers to the Nasolabial Folds and Lower Face With Standardized Video and Photography.

PubMed

Philipp-Dormston, Wolfgang G; Wong, Cindy; Schuster, Bernd; Larsson, Markus K; Podda, Maurizio

2018-06-01

Hyaluronic acid (HA) fillers are commonly used in treating facial wrinkles and folds but have not been studied with standardized methodology to include assessment of standard facial expressions. To assess perceived naturalness of facial expression after treatment with 2 HA fillers manufactured with XpresHAn Technology (also known as Optimal Balance Technology). Treatment was directed to the nasolabial folds (NLFs) and at least 1 additional lower face wrinkle or fold. Maintenance of naturalness, attractiveness, and age at 1 month after optimal treatment were assessed using video recordings and photographs capturing different facial animations. Global aesthetic improvement, subjects' satisfaction, and safety were also evaluated. The treatment was well tolerated. Naturalness of facial expression in motion was determined to be at least maintained in 95% of subjects. Attractiveness was enhanced in 89% of subjects and 79% of subjects were considered to look younger. Most subjects assessed their aesthetic appearance as improved and were satisfied with their treatment. Naturalness and attractiveness can be assessed using video recordings and photographs capturing different facial animations. XpresHAn Technology HA filler treatments create natural-looking results with high subject satisfaction.

Motion-artifact-robust, polarization-resolved second-harmonic-generation microscopy based on rapid polarization switching with electro-optic Pockells cell and its application to in vivo visualization of collagen fiber orientation in human facial skin

PubMed Central

Tanaka, Yuji; Hase, Eiji; Fukushima, Shuichiro; Ogura, Yuki; Yamashita, Toyonobu; Hirao, Tetsuji; Araki, Tsutomu; Yasui, Takeshi

2014-01-01

Polarization-resolved second-harmonic-generation (PR-SHG) microscopy is a powerful tool for investigating collagen fiber orientation quantitatively with low invasiveness. However, the waiting time for the mechanical polarization rotation makes it too sensitive to motion artifacts and hence has hampered its use in various applications in vivo. In the work described in this article, we constructed a motion-artifact-robust, PR-SHG microscope based on rapid polarization switching at every pixel with an electro-optic Pockells cell (PC) in synchronization with step-wise raster scanning of the focus spot and alternate data acquisition of a vertical-polarization-resolved SHG signal and a horizontal-polarization-resolved one. The constructed PC-based PR-SHG microscope enabled us to visualize orientation mapping of dermal collagen fiber in human facial skin in vivo without the influence of motion artifacts. Furthermore, it implied the location and/or age dependence of the collagen fiber orientation in human facial skin. The robustness to motion artifacts in the collagen orientation measurement will expand the application scope of SHG microscopy in dermatology and collagen-related fields. PMID:24761292

The face is not an empty canvas: how facial expressions interact with facial appearance.

PubMed

Hess, Ursula; Adams, Reginald B; Kleck, Robert E

2009-12-12

Faces are not simply blank canvases upon which facial expressions write their emotional messages. In fact, facial appearance and facial movement are both important social signalling systems in their own right. We here provide multiple lines of evidence for the notion that the social signals derived from facial appearance on the one hand and facial movement on the other interact in a complex manner, sometimes reinforcing and sometimes contradicting one another. Faces provide information on who a person is. Sex, age, ethnicity, personality and other characteristics that can define a person and the social group the person belongs to can all be derived from the face alone. The present article argues that faces interact with the perception of emotion expressions because this information informs a decoder's expectations regarding an expresser's probable emotional reactions. Facial appearance also interacts more directly with the interpretation of facial movement because some of the features that are used to derive personality or sex information are also features that closely resemble certain emotional expressions, thereby enhancing or diluting the perceived strength of particular expressions.

Image ratio features for facial expression recognition application.

PubMed

Song, Mingli; Tao, Dacheng; Liu, Zicheng; Li, Xuelong; Zhou, Mengchu

2010-06-01

Video-based facial expression recognition is a challenging problem in computer vision and human-computer interaction. To target this problem, texture features have been extracted and widely used, because they can capture image intensity changes raised by skin deformation. However, existing texture features encounter problems with albedo and lighting variations. To solve both problems, we propose a new texture feature called image ratio features. Compared with previously proposed texture features, e.g., high gradient component features, image ratio features are more robust to albedo and lighting variations. In addition, to further improve facial expression recognition accuracy based on image ratio features, we combine image ratio features with facial animation parameters (FAPs), which describe the geometric motions of facial feature points. The performance evaluation is based on the Carnegie Mellon University Cohn-Kanade database, our own database, and the Japanese Female Facial Expression database. Experimental results show that the proposed image ratio feature is more robust to albedo and lighting variations, and the combination of image ratio features and FAPs outperforms each feature alone. In addition, we study asymmetric facial expressions based on our own facial expression database and demonstrate the superior performance of our combined expression recognition system.

Enhancing physics demos using iPhone slow motion

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lincoln, James

2017-12-01

Slow motion video enhances our ability to perceive and experience the physical world. This can help students and teachers especially in cases of fast moving objects or detailed events that happen too quickly for the eye to follow. As often as possible, demonstrations should be performed by the students themselves and luckily many of them will already have this technology in their pockets. The "S" series of iPhone has the slow motion video feature standard, which also includes simultaneous sound recording (somewhat unusual among slow motion cameras). In this article I share some of my experiences using this feature and provide advice on how to successfully use this technology in the classroom.

Motion facilitates face perception across changes in viewpoint and expression in older adults.

PubMed

Maguinness, Corrina; Newell, Fiona N

2014-12-01

Faces are inherently dynamic stimuli. However, face perception in younger adults appears to be mediated by the ability to extract structural cues from static images and a benefit of motion is inconsistent. In contrast, static face processing is poorer and more image-dependent in older adults. We therefore compared the role of facial motion in younger and older adults to assess whether motion can enhance perception when static cues are insufficient. In our studies, older and younger adults learned faces presented in motion or in a sequence of static images, containing rigid (viewpoint) or nonrigid (expression) changes. Immediately following learning, participants matched a static test image to the learned face which varied by viewpoint (Experiment 1) or expression (Experiment 2) and was either learned or novel. First, we found an age effect with better face matching performance in younger than in older adults. However, we observed face matching performance improved in the older adult group, across changes in viewpoint and expression, when faces were learned in motion relative to static presentation. There was no benefit for facial (nonrigid) motion when the task involved matching inverted faces (Experiment 3), suggesting that the ability to use dynamic face information for the purpose of recognition reflects motion encoding which is specific to upright faces. Our results suggest that ageing may offer a unique insight into how dynamic cues support face processing, which may not be readily observed in younger adults' performance. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2014 APA, all rights reserved).

Automated and objective action coding of facial expressions in patients with acute facial palsy.

PubMed

Haase, Daniel; Minnigerode, Laura; Volk, Gerd Fabian; Denzler, Joachim; Guntinas-Lichius, Orlando

2015-05-01

Aim of the present observational single center study was to objectively assess facial function in patients with idiopathic facial palsy with a new computer-based system that automatically recognizes action units (AUs) defined by the Facial Action Coding System (FACS). Still photographs using posed facial expressions of 28 healthy subjects and of 299 patients with acute facial palsy were automatically analyzed for bilateral AU expression profiles. All palsies were graded with the House-Brackmann (HB) grading system and with the Stennert Index (SI). Changes of the AU profiles during follow-up were analyzed for 77 patients. The initial HB grading of all patients was 3.3 ± 1.2. SI at rest was 1.86 ± 1.3 and during motion 3.79 ± 4.3. Healthy subjects showed a significant AU asymmetry score of 21 ± 11 % and there was no significant difference to patients (p = 0.128). At initial examination of patients, the number of activated AUs was significantly lower on the paralyzed side than on the healthy side (p < 0.0001). The final examination for patients took place 4 ± 6 months post baseline. The number of activated AUs and the ratio between affected and healthy side increased significantly between baseline and final examination (both p < 0.0001). The asymmetry score decreased between baseline and final examination (p < 0.0001). The number of activated AUs on the healthy side did not change significantly (p = 0.779). Radical rethinking in facial grading is worthwhile: automated FACS delivers fast and objective global and regional data on facial motor function for use in clinical routine and clinical trials.

Scene-based nonuniformity correction and enhancement: pixel statistics and subpixel motion.

PubMed

Zhao, Wenyi; Zhang, Chao

2008-07-01

We propose a framework for scene-based nonuniformity correction (NUC) and nonuniformity correction and enhancement (NUCE) that is required for focal-plane array-like sensors to obtain clean and enhanced-quality images. The core of the proposed framework is a novel registration-based nonuniformity correction super-resolution (NUCSR) method that is bootstrapped by statistical scene-based NUC methods. Based on a comprehensive imaging model and an accurate parametric motion estimation, we are able to remove severe/structured nonuniformity and in the presence of subpixel motion to simultaneously improve image resolution. One important feature of our NUCSR method is the adoption of a parametric motion model that allows us to (1) handle many practical scenarios where parametric motions are present and (2) carry out perfect super-resolution in principle by exploring available subpixel motions. Experiments with real data demonstrate the efficiency of the proposed NUCE framework and the effectiveness of the NUCSR method.

Magnetic resonance imaging of facial nerve schwannoma.

PubMed

Thompson, Andrew L; Aviv, Richard I; Chen, Joseph M; Nedzelski, Julian M; Yuen, Heng-Wai; Fox, Allan J; Bharatha, Aditya; Bartlett, Eric S; Symons, Sean P

2009-12-01

This study characterizes the magnetic resonance (MR) appearances of facial nerve schwannoma (FNS). We hypothesize that the extent of FNS demonstrated on MR will be greater compared to prior computed tomography studies, that geniculate involvement will be most common, and that cerebellar pontine angle (CPA) and internal auditory canal (IAC) involvement will more frequently result in sensorineural hearing loss (SNHL). Retrospective study. Clinical, pathologic, and enhanced MR imaging records of 30 patients with FNS were analyzed. Morphologic characteristics and extent of segmental facial nerve involvement were documented. Median age at initial imaging was 51 years (range, 28-76 years). Pathologic confirmation was obtained in 14 patients (47%), and the diagnosis reached in the remainder by identification of a mass, thickening, and enhancement along the course of the facial nerve. All 30 lesions involved two or more contiguous segments of the facial nerve, with 28 (93%) involving three or more segments. The median segments involved per lesion was 4, mean of 3.83. Geniculate involvement was most common, in 29 patients (97%). CPA (P = .001) and IAC (P = .02) involvement was significantly related to SNHL. Seventeen patients (57%) presented with facial nerve dysfunction, manifesting in 12 patients as facial nerve weakness or paralysis, and/or in eight with involuntary movements of the facial musculature. This study highlights the morphologic heterogeneity and typical multisegment involvement of FNS. Enhanced MR is the imaging modality of choice for FNS. The neuroradiologist must accurately diagnose and characterize this lesion, and thus facilitate optimal preoperative planning and counseling.

Effects of damping head movement and facial expression in dyadic conversation using real–time facial expression tracking and synthesized avatars

PubMed Central

Boker, Steven M.; Cohn, Jeffrey F.; Theobald, Barry-John; Matthews, Iain; Brick, Timothy R.; Spies, Jeffrey R.

2009-01-01

When people speak with one another, they tend to adapt their head movements and facial expressions in response to each others' head movements and facial expressions. We present an experiment in which confederates' head movements and facial expressions were motion tracked during videoconference conversations, an avatar face was reconstructed in real time, and naive participants spoke with the avatar face. No naive participant guessed that the computer generated face was not video. Confederates' facial expressions, vocal inflections and head movements were attenuated at 1 min intervals in a fully crossed experimental design. Attenuated head movements led to increased head nods and lateral head turns, and attenuated facial expressions led to increased head nodding in both naive participants and confederates. Together, these results are consistent with a hypothesis that the dynamics of head movements in dyadicconversation include a shared equilibrium. Although both conversational partners were blind to the manipulation, when apparent head movement of one conversant was attenuated, both partners responded by increasing the velocity of their head movements. PMID:19884143

Facial Feedback Mechanisms in Autistic Spectrum Disorders

PubMed Central

van den Heuvel, Claudia; Smeets, Raymond C.

2008-01-01

Facial feedback mechanisms of adolescents with Autistic Spectrum Disorders (ASD) were investigated utilizing three studies. Facial expressions, which became activated via automatic (Studies 1 and 2) or intentional (Study 2) mimicry, or via holding a pen between the teeth (Study 3), influenced corresponding emotions for controls, while individuals with ASD remained emotionally unaffected. Thus, individuals with ASD do not experience feedback from activated facial expressions as controls do. This facial feedback-impairment enhances our understanding of the social and emotional lives of individuals with ASD. PMID:18293075

Facial Transplantation Surgery Introduction

PubMed Central

2015-01-01

Severely disfiguring facial injuries can have a devastating impact on the patient's quality of life. During the past decade, vascularized facial allotransplantation has progressed from an experimental possibility to a clinical reality in the fields of disease, trauma, and congenital malformations. This technique may now be considered a viable option for repairing complex craniofacial defects for which the results of autologous reconstruction remain suboptimal. Vascularized facial allotransplantation permits optimal anatomical reconstruction and provides desired functional, esthetic, and psychosocial benefits that are far superior to those achieved with conventional methods. Along with dramatic improvements in their functional statuses, patients regain the ability to make facial expressions such as smiling and to perform various functions such as smelling, eating, drinking, and speaking. The ideas in the 1997 movie "Face/Off" have now been realized in the clinical field. The objective of this article is to introduce this new surgical field, provide a basis for examining the status of the field of face transplantation, and stimulate and enhance facial transplantation studies in Korea. PMID:26028914

Facial transplantation surgery introduction.

PubMed

Eun, Seok-Chan

2015-06-01

Severely disfiguring facial injuries can have a devastating impact on the patient's quality of life. During the past decade, vascularized facial allotransplantation has progressed from an experimental possibility to a clinical reality in the fields of disease, trauma, and congenital malformations. This technique may now be considered a viable option for repairing complex craniofacial defects for which the results of autologous reconstruction remain suboptimal. Vascularized facial allotransplantation permits optimal anatomical reconstruction and provides desired functional, esthetic, and psychosocial benefits that are far superior to those achieved with conventional methods. Along with dramatic improvements in their functional statuses, patients regain the ability to make facial expressions such as smiling and to perform various functions such as smelling, eating, drinking, and speaking. The ideas in the 1997 movie "Face/Off" have now been realized in the clinical field. The objective of this article is to introduce this new surgical field, provide a basis for examining the status of the field of face transplantation, and stimulate and enhance facial transplantation studies in Korea.

Effects of Objective 3-Dimensional Measures of Facial Shape and Symmetry on Perceptions of Facial Attractiveness.

PubMed

Hatch, Cory D; Wehby, George L; Nidey, Nichole L; Moreno Uribe, Lina M

2017-09-01

Meeting patient desires for enhanced facial esthetics requires that providers have standardized and objective methods to measure esthetics. The authors evaluated the effects of objective 3-dimensional (3D) facial shape and asymmetry measurements derived from 3D facial images on perceptions of facial attractiveness. The 3D facial images of 313 adults in Iowa were digitized with 32 landmarks, and objective 3D facial measurements capturing symmetric and asymmetric components of shape variation, centroid size, and fluctuating asymmetry were obtained from the 3D coordinate data using geo-morphometric analyses. Frontal and profile images of study participants were rated for facial attractiveness by 10 volunteers (5 women and 5 men) on a 5-point Likert scale and a visual analog scale. Multivariate regression was used to identify the effects of the objective 3D facial measurements on attractiveness ratings. Several objective 3D facial measurements had marked effects on attractiveness ratings. Shorter facial heights with protrusive chins, midface retrusion, faces with protrusive noses and thin lips, flat mandibular planes with deep labiomental folds, any cants of the lip commissures and floor of the nose, larger faces overall, and increased fluctuating asymmetry were rated as significantly (P < .001) less attractive. Perceptions of facial attractiveness can be explained by specific 3D measurements of facial shapes and fluctuating asymmetry, which have important implications for clinical practice and research. Copyright © 2017 American Association of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Nerve crush but not displacement-induced stretch of the intra-arachnoidal facial nerve promotes facial palsy after cerebellopontine angle surgery.

PubMed

Bendella, Habib; Brackmann, Derald E; Goldbrunner, Roland; Angelov, Doychin N

2016-10-01

Little is known about the reasons for occurrence of facial nerve palsy after removal of cerebellopontine angle tumors. Since the intra-arachnoidal portion of the facial nerve is considered to be so vulnerable that even the slightest tension or pinch may result in ruptured axons, we tested whether a graded stretch or controlled crush would affect the postoperative motor performance of the facial (vibrissal) muscle in rats. Thirty Wistar rats, divided into five groups (one with intact controls and four with facial nerve lesions), were used. Under inhalation anesthesia, the occipital squama was opened, the cerebellum gently retracted to the left, and the intra-arachnoidal segment of the right facial nerve exposed. A mechanical displacement of the brainstem with 1 or 3 mm toward the midline or an electromagnet-controlled crush of the facial nerve with a tweezers at a closure velocity of 50 and 100 mm/s was applied. On the next day, whisking motor performance was determined by video-based motion analysis. Even the larger (with 3 mm) mechanical displacement of the brainstem had no harmful effect: The amplitude of the vibrissal whisks was in the normal range of 50°-60°. On the other hand, even the light nerve crush (50 mm/s) injured the facial nerve and resulted in paralyzed vibrissal muscles (amplitude of 10°-15°). We conclude that, contrary to the generally acknowledged assumptions, it is the nerve crush but not the displacement-induced stretching of the intra-arachnoidal facial trunk that promotes facial palsy after cerebellopontine angle surgery in rats.

Influence of gravity upon some facial signs.

PubMed

Flament, F; Bazin, R; Piot, B

2015-06-01

Facial clinical signs and their integration are the basis of perception than others could have from ourselves, noticeably the age they imagine we are. Facial modifications in motion and their objective measurements before and after application of skin regimen are essential to go further in evaluation capacities to describe efficacy in facial dynamics. Quantification of facial modifications vis à vis gravity will allow us to answer about 'control' of facial shape in daily activities. Standardized photographs of the faces of 30 Caucasian female subjects of various ages (24-73 year) were successively taken at upright and supine positions within a short time interval. All these pictures were therefore reframed - any bias due to facial features was avoided when evaluating one single sign - for clinical quotation by trained experts of several facial signs regarding published standardized photographic scales. For all subjects, the supine position increased facial width but not height, giving a more fuller appearance to the face. More importantly, the supine position changed the severity of facial ageing features (e.g. wrinkles) compared to an upright position and whether these features were attenuated or exacerbated depended on their facial location. Supine station mostly modifies signs of the lower half of the face whereas those of the upper half appear unchanged or slightly accentuated. These changes appear much more marked in the older groups, where some deep labial folds almost vanish. These alterations decreased the perceived ages of the subjects by an average of 3.8 years. Although preliminary, this study suggests that a 90° rotation of the facial skin vis à vis gravity induces rapid rearrangements among which changes in tensional forces within and across the face, motility of interstitial free water among underlying skin tissue and/or alterations of facial Langer lines, likely play a significant role. © 2015 Society of Cosmetic Scientists and the Société Fran

Long-term academic stress enhances early processing of facial expressions.

PubMed

Zhang, Liang; Qin, Shaozheng; Yao, Zhuxi; Zhang, Kan; Wu, Jianhui

2016-11-01

Exposure to long-term stress can lead to a variety of emotional and behavioral problems. Although widely investigated, the neural basis of how long-term stress impacts emotional processing in humans remains largely elusive. Using event-related brain potentials (ERPs), we investigated the effects of long-term stress on the neural dynamics of emotionally facial expression processing. Thirty-nine male college students undergoing preparation for a major examination and twenty-one matched controls performed a gender discrimination task for faces displaying angry, happy, and neutral expressions. The results of the Perceived Stress Scale showed that participants in the stress group perceived higher levels of long-term stress relative to the control group. ERP analyses revealed differential effects of long-term stress on two early stages of facial expression processing: 1) long-term stress generally augmented posterior P1 amplitudes to facial stimuli irrespective of expression valence, suggesting that stress can increase sensitization to visual inputs in general, and 2) long-term stress selectively augmented fronto-central P2 amplitudes for angry but not for neutral or positive facial expressions, suggesting that stress may lead to increased attentional prioritization to processing negative emotional stimuli. Together, our findings suggest that long-term stress has profound impacts on the early stages of facial expression processing, with an increase at the very early stage of general information inputs and a subsequent attentional bias toward processing emotionally negative stimuli. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Non-rigid, but not rigid, motion interferes with the processing of structural face information in developmental prosopagnosia.

PubMed

Maguinness, Corrina; Newell, Fiona N

2015-04-01

There is growing evidence to suggest that facial motion is an important cue for face recognition. However, it is poorly understood whether motion is integrated with facial form information or whether it provides an independent cue to identity. To provide further insight into this issue, we compared the effect of motion on face perception in two developmental prosopagnosics and age-matched controls. Participants first learned faces presented dynamically (video), or in a sequence of static images, in which rigid (viewpoint) or non-rigid (expression) changes occurred. Immediately following learning, participants were required to match a static face image to the learned face. Test face images varied by viewpoint (Experiment 1) or expression (Experiment 2) and were learned or novel face images. We found similar performance across prosopagnosics and controls in matching facial identity across changes in viewpoint when the learned face was shown moving in a rigid manner. However, non-rigid motion interfered with face matching across changes in expression in both individuals with prosopagnosia compared to the performance of control participants. In contrast, non-rigid motion did not differentially affect the matching of facial expressions across changes in identity for either prosopagnosics (Experiment 3). Our results suggest that whilst the processing of rigid motion information of a face may be preserved in developmental prosopagnosia, non-rigid motion can specifically interfere with the representation of structural face information. Taken together, these results suggest that both form and motion cues are important in face perception and that these cues are likely integrated in the representation of facial identity. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Motion Controlled Gait Enhancing Mobile Shoe for Rehabilitation

PubMed Central

Handzic, Ismet; Vasudevan, Erin V.; Reed, Kyle B.

2011-01-01

Walking on a split-belt treadmill, which has two belts that can be run at different speeds, has been shown to improve walking patterns post-stroke. However, these improvements are only temporarily retained once individuals transition to walking over ground. We hypothesize that longer-lasting effects would be observed if the training occurred during natural walking over ground, as opposed to on a treadmill. In order to study such long-term effects, we have developed a mobile and portable device which can simulate the same gait altering movements experienced on a split-belt treadmill. The new motion controlled gait enhancing mobile shoe improves upon the previous version’s drawbacks. This version of the GEMS has motion that is continuous, smooth, and regulated with on-board electronics. A vital component of this new design is the Archimedean spiral wheel shape that redirects the wearer’s downward force into a horizontal backward motion. The design is passive and does not utilize any motors. Its motion is regulated only by a small magnetic particle brake. Further experimentation is needed to evaluate the long-term after-effects. PMID:22275620

Facial identification in very low-resolution images simulating prosthetic vision.

PubMed

Chang, M H; Kim, H S; Shin, J H; Park, K S

2012-08-01

Familiar facial identification is important to blind or visually impaired patients and can be achieved using a retinal prosthesis. Nevertheless, there are limitations in delivering the facial images with a resolution sufficient to distinguish facial features, such as eyes and nose, through multichannel electrode arrays used in current visual prostheses. This study verifies the feasibility of familiar facial identification under low-resolution prosthetic vision and proposes an edge-enhancement method to deliver more visual information that is of higher quality. We first generated a contrast-enhanced image and an edge image by applying the Sobel edge detector and blocked each of them by averaging. Then, we subtracted the blocked edge image from the blocked contrast-enhanced image and produced a pixelized image imitating an array of phosphenes. Before subtraction, every gray value of the edge images was weighted as 50% (mode 2), 75% (mode 3) and 100% (mode 4). In mode 1, the facial image was blocked and pixelized with no further processing. The most successful identification was achieved with mode 3 at every resolution in terms of identification index, which covers both accuracy and correct response time. We also found that the subjects recognized a distinctive face especially more accurately and faster than the other given facial images even under low-resolution prosthetic vision. Every subject could identify familiar faces even in very low-resolution images. And the proposed edge-enhancement method seemed to contribute to intermediate-stage visual prostheses.

Automatic three-dimensional quantitative analysis for evaluation of facial movement.

PubMed

Hontanilla, B; Aubá, C

2008-01-01

The aim of this study is to present a new 3D capture system of facial movements called FACIAL CLIMA. It is an automatic optical motion system that involves placing special reflecting dots on the subject's face and video recording with three infrared-light cameras the subject performing several face movements such as smile, mouth puckering, eye closure and forehead elevation. Images from the cameras are automatically processed with a software program that generates customised information such as 3D data on velocities and areas. The study has been performed in 20 healthy volunteers. The accuracy of the measurement process and the intrarater and interrater reliabilities have been evaluated. Comparison of a known distance and angle with those obtained by FACIAL CLIMA shows that this system is accurate to within 0.13 mm and 0.41 degrees . In conclusion, the accuracy of the FACIAL CLIMA system for evaluation of facial movements is demonstrated and also the high intrarater and interrater reliability. It has advantages with respect to other systems that have been developed for evaluation of facial movements, such as short calibration time, short measuring time, easiness to use and it provides not only distances but also velocities and areas. Thus the FACIAL CLIMA system could be considered as an adequate tool to assess the outcome of facial paralysis reanimation surgery. Thus, patients with facial paralysis could be compared between surgical centres such that effectiveness of facial reanimation operations could be evaluated.

Enhancing Physics Demos Using iPhone Slow Motion

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lincoln, James

2017-01-01

Slow motion video enhances our ability to perceive and experience the physical world. This can help students and teachers especially in cases of fast moving objects or detailed events that happen too quickly for the eye to follow. As often as possible, demonstrations should be performed by the students themselves and luckily many of them will…

Infant brain activity while viewing facial movement of point-light displays as measured by near-infrared spectroscopy (NIRS).

PubMed

Ichikawa, Hiroko; Kanazawa, So; Yamaguchi, Masami K; Kakigi, Ryusuke

2010-09-27

Adult observers can quickly identify specific actions performed by an invisible actor from the points of lights attached to the actor's head and major joints. Infants are also sensitive to biological motion and prefer to see it depicted by a dynamic point-light display. In detecting biological motion such as whole body and facial movements, neuroimaging studies have demonstrated the involvement of the occipitotemporal cortex, including the superior temporal sulcus (STS). In the present study, we used the point-light display technique and near-infrared spectroscopy (NIRS) to examine infant brain activity while viewing facial biological motion depicted in a point-light display. Dynamic facial point-light displays (PLD) were made from video recordings of three actors making a facial expression of surprise in a dark room. As in Bassili's study, about 80 luminous markers were scattered over the surface of the actor's faces. In the experiment, we measured infant's hemodynamic responses to these displays using NIRS. We hypothesized that infants would show different neural activity for upright and inverted PLD. The responses were compared to the baseline activation during the presentation of individual still images, which were frames extracted from the dynamic PLD. We found that the concentration of oxy-Hb increased in the right temporal area during the presentation of the upright PLD compared to that of the baseline period. This is the first study to demonstrate that infant's brain activity in face processing is induced only by the motion cue of facial movement depicted by dynamic PLD. (c) 2010 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Discrimination of gender using facial image with expression change

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kuniyada, Jun; Fukuda, Takahiro; Terada, Kenji

2005-12-01

By carrying out marketing research, the managers of large-sized department stores or small convenience stores obtain the information such as ratio of men and women of visitors and an age group, and improve their management plan. However, these works are carried out in the manual operations, and it becomes a big burden to small stores. In this paper, the authors propose a method of men and women discrimination by extracting difference of the facial expression change from color facial images. Now, there are a lot of methods of the automatic recognition of the individual using a motion facial image or a still facial image in the field of image processing. However, it is very difficult to discriminate gender under the influence of the hairstyle and clothes, etc. Therefore, we propose the method which is not affected by personality such as size and position of facial parts by paying attention to a change of an expression. In this method, it is necessary to obtain two facial images with an expression and an expressionless. First, a region of facial surface and the regions of facial parts such as eyes, nose, and mouth are extracted in the facial image with color information of hue and saturation in HSV color system and emphasized edge information. Next, the features are extracted by calculating the rate of the change of each facial part generated by an expression change. In the last step, the values of those features are compared between the input data and the database, and the gender is discriminated. In this paper, it experimented for the laughing expression and smile expression, and good results were provided for discriminating gender.

Dynamic facial expression recognition based on geometric and texture features

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Li, Ming; Wang, Zengfu

2018-04-01

Recently, dynamic facial expression recognition in videos has attracted growing attention. In this paper, we propose a novel dynamic facial expression recognition method by using geometric and texture features. In our system, the facial landmark movements and texture variations upon pairwise images are used to perform the dynamic facial expression recognition tasks. For one facial expression sequence, pairwise images are created between the first frame and each of its subsequent frames. Integration of both geometric and texture features further enhances the representation of the facial expressions. Finally, Support Vector Machine is used for facial expression recognition. Experiments conducted on the extended Cohn-Kanade database show that our proposed method can achieve a competitive performance with other methods.

Effect of positive emotion on consolidation of memory for faces: the modulation of facial valence and facial gender.

PubMed

Wang, Bo

2013-01-01

Studies have shown that emotion elicited after learning enhances memory consolidation. However, no prior studies have used facial photos as stimuli. This study examined the effect of post-learning positive emotion on consolidation of memory for faces. During the learning participants viewed neutral, positive, or negative faces. Then they were assigned to a condition in which they either watched a 9-minute positive video clip, or a 9-minute neutral video. Then 30 minutes after the learning participants took a surprise memory test, in which they made "remember", "know", and "new" judgements. The findings are: (1) Positive emotion enhanced consolidation of recognition for negative male faces, but impaired consolidation of recognition for negative female faces; (2) For males, recognition for negative faces was equivalent to that for positive faces; for females, recognition for negative faces was better than that for positive faces. Our study provides the important evidence that effect of post-learning emotion on memory consolidation can extend to facial stimuli and such an effect can be modulated by facial valence and facial gender. The findings may shed light on establishing models concerning the influence of emotion on memory consolidation.

Imitating expressions: emotion-specific neural substrates in facial mimicry.

PubMed

Lee, Tien-Wen; Josephs, Oliver; Dolan, Raymond J; Critchley, Hugo D

2006-09-01

Intentionally adopting a discrete emotional facial expression can modulate the subjective feelings corresponding to that emotion; however, the underlying neural mechanism is poorly understood. We therefore used functional brain imaging (functional magnetic resonance imaging) to examine brain activity during intentional mimicry of emotional and non-emotional facial expressions and relate regional responses to the magnitude of expression-induced facial movement. Eighteen healthy subjects were scanned while imitating video clips depicting three emotional (sad, angry, happy), and two 'ingestive' (chewing and licking) facial expressions. Simultaneously, facial movement was monitored from displacement of fiducial markers (highly reflective dots) on each subject's face. Imitating emotional expressions enhanced activity within right inferior prefrontal cortex. This pattern was absent during passive viewing conditions. Moreover, the magnitude of facial movement during emotion-imitation predicted responses within right insula and motor/premotor cortices. Enhanced activity in ventromedial prefrontal cortex and frontal pole was observed during imitation of anger, in ventromedial prefrontal and rostral anterior cingulate during imitation of sadness and in striatal, amygdala and occipitotemporal during imitation of happiness. Our findings suggest a central role for right inferior frontal gyrus in the intentional imitation of emotional expressions. Further, by entering metrics for facial muscular change into analysis of brain imaging data, we highlight shared and discrete neural substrates supporting affective, action and social consequences of somatomotor emotional expression.

The look of fear and anger: facial maturity modulates recognition of fearful and angry expressions.

PubMed

Sacco, Donald F; Hugenberg, Kurt

2009-02-01

The current series of studies provide converging evidence that facial expressions of fear and anger may have co-evolved to mimic mature and babyish faces in order to enhance their communicative signal. In Studies 1 and 2, fearful and angry facial expressions were manipulated to have enhanced babyish features (larger eyes) or enhanced mature features (smaller eyes) and in the context of a speeded categorization task in Study 1 and a visual noise paradigm in Study 2, results indicated that larger eyes facilitated the recognition of fearful facial expressions, while smaller eyes facilitated the recognition of angry facial expressions. Study 3 manipulated facial roundness, a stable structure that does not vary systematically with expressions, and found that congruency between maturity and expression (narrow face-anger; round face-fear) facilitated expression recognition accuracy. Results are discussed as representing a broad co-evolutionary relationship between facial maturity and fearful and angry facial expressions. (c) 2009 APA, all rights reserved

Facial Scar Revision: Understanding Facial Scar Treatment

MedlinePlus

... Contact Us Trust your face to a facial plastic surgeon Facial Scar Revision Understanding Facial Scar Treatment ... face like the eyes or lips. A facial plastic surgeon has many options for treating and improving ...

Synthesis of Speaker Facial Movement to Match Selected Speech Sequences

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Scott, K. C.; Kagels, D. S.; Watson, S. H.; Rom, H.; Wright, J. R.; Lee, M.; Hussey, K. J.

1994-01-01

A system is described which allows for the synthesis of a video sequence of a realistic-appearing talking human head. A phonic based approach is used to describe facial motion; image processing rather than physical modeling techniques are used to create video frames.

Facial emotion recognition and borderline personality pathology.

PubMed

Meehan, Kevin B; De Panfilis, Chiara; Cain, Nicole M; Antonucci, Camilla; Soliani, Antonio; Clarkin, John F; Sambataro, Fabio

2017-09-01

The impact of borderline personality pathology on facial emotion recognition has been in dispute; with impaired, comparable, and enhanced accuracy found in high borderline personality groups. Discrepancies are likely driven by variations in facial emotion recognition tasks across studies (stimuli type/intensity) and heterogeneity in borderline personality pathology. This study evaluates facial emotion recognition for neutral and negative emotions (fear/sadness/disgust/anger) presented at varying intensities. Effortful control was evaluated as a moderator of facial emotion recognition in borderline personality. Non-clinical multicultural undergraduates (n = 132) completed a morphed facial emotion recognition task of neutral and negative emotional expressions across different intensities (100% Neutral; 25%/50%/75% Emotion) and self-reported borderline personality features and effortful control. Greater borderline personality features related to decreased accuracy in detecting neutral faces, but increased accuracy in detecting negative emotion faces, particularly at low-intensity thresholds. This pattern was moderated by effortful control; for individuals with low but not high effortful control, greater borderline personality features related to misattributions of emotion to neutral expressions, and enhanced detection of low-intensity emotional expressions. Individuals with high borderline personality features may therefore exhibit a bias toward detecting negative emotions that are not or barely present; however, good self-regulatory skills may protect against this potential social-cognitive vulnerability. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

[Experimental studies for the improvement of facial nerve regeneration].

PubMed

Guntinas-Lichius, O; Angelov, D N

2008-02-01

Using a combination of the following, it is possible to investigate procedures to improve the morphological and functional regeneration of the facial nerve in animal models: 1) retrograde fluorescence tracing to analyse collateral axonal sprouting and the selectivity of reinnervation of the mimic musculature, 2) immunohistochemistry to analyse both the terminal axonal sprouting in the muscles and the axon reaction within the nucleus of the facial nerve, the peripheral nerve, and its environment, and 3) digital motion analysis of the muscles. To obtain good functional facial nerve regeneration, a reduction of terminal sprouting in the mimic musculature seems to be more important than a reduction of collateral sprouting at the lesion site. Promising strategies include acceleration of nerve regeneration, forced induced use of the paralysed face, mechanical stimulation of the face, and transplantation of nerve-growth-promoting olfactory epithelium at the lesion site.

Influence of make-up on facial recognition.

PubMed

Ueda, Sayako; Koyama, Takamasa

2010-01-01

Make-up may enhance or disguise facial characteristics. The influence of wearing make-up on facial recognition could be of two kinds: (i) when women do not wear make-up and then are seen with make-up, and (ii) when women wear make-up and then are seen without make-up. A study is reported which shows that light make-up makes it easier to recognise a face, and heavy make-up makes it more difficult. Seeing initially a made-up face makes any subsequent facial recognition more difficult than initially seeing that face without make-up.

iFER: facial expression recognition using automatically selected geometric eye and eyebrow features

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Oztel, Ismail; Yolcu, Gozde; Oz, Cemil; Kazan, Serap; Bunyak, Filiz

2018-03-01

Facial expressions have an important role in interpersonal communications and estimation of emotional states or intentions. Automatic recognition of facial expressions has led to many practical applications and became one of the important topics in computer vision. We present a facial expression recognition system that relies on geometry-based features extracted from eye and eyebrow regions of the face. The proposed system detects keypoints on frontal face images and forms a feature set using geometric relationships among groups of detected keypoints. Obtained feature set is refined and reduced using the sequential forward selection (SFS) algorithm and fed to a support vector machine classifier to recognize five facial expression classes. The proposed system, iFER (eye-eyebrow only facial expression recognition), is robust to lower face occlusions that may be caused by beards, mustaches, scarves, etc. and lower face motion during speech production. Preliminary experiments on benchmark datasets produced promising results outperforming previous facial expression recognition studies using partial face features, and comparable results to studies using whole face information, only slightly lower by ˜ 2.5 % compared to the best whole face facial recognition system while using only ˜ 1 / 3 of the facial region.

Anatomy of emotion: a 3D study of facial mimicry.

PubMed

Ferrario, V F; Sforza, C

2007-01-01

Alterations in facial motion severely impair the quality of life and social interaction of patients, and an objective grading of facial function is necessary. A method for the non-invasive detection of 3D facial movements was developed. Sequences of six standardized facial movements (maximum smile; free smile; surprise with closed mouth; surprise with open mouth; right side eye closure; left side eye closure) were recorded in 20 healthy young adults (10 men, 10 women) using an optoelectronic motion analyzer. For each subject, 21 cutaneous landmarks were identified by 2-mm reflective markers, and their 3D movements during each facial animation were computed. Three repetitions of each expression were recorded (within-session error), and four separate sessions were used (between-session error). To assess the within-session error, the technical error of the measurement (random error, TEM) was computed separately for each sex, movement and landmark. To assess the between-session repeatability, the standard deviation among the mean displacements of each landmark (four independent sessions) was computed for each movement. TEM for the single landmarks ranged between 0.3 and 9.42 mm (intrasession error). The sex- and movement-related differences were statistically significant (two-way analysis of variance, p=0.003 for sex comparison, p=0.009 for the six movements, p<0.001 for the sex x movement interaction). Among four different (independent) sessions, the left eye closure had the worst repeatability, the right eye closure had the best one; the differences among various movements were statistically significant (one-way analysis of variance, p=0.041). In conclusion, the current protocol demonstrated a sufficient repeatability for a future clinical application. Great care should be taken to assure a consistent marker positioning in all the subjects.

Small vestibular schwannomas presenting with facial nerve palsy.

PubMed

Espahbodi, Mana; Carlson, Matthew L; Fang, Te-Yung; Thompson, Reid C; Haynes, David S

2014-06-01

To describe the surgical management and convalescence of two patients presenting with severe facial nerve weakness associated with small intracanalicular vestibular schwannomas (VS). Retrospective review. Two adult female patients presenting with audiovestibular symptoms and subacute facial nerve paralysis (House-Brackmann Grade IV and V). In both cases, post-contrast T1-weighted magnetic resonance imaging revealed an enhancing lesion within the internal auditory canal without lateral extension beyond the fundus. Translabyrinthine exploration demonstrated vestibular nerve origin of tumor, extrinsic to the facial nerve, and frozen section pathology confirmed schwannoma. Gross total tumor resection with VIIth cranial nerve preservation and decompression of the labyrinthine segment of the facial nerve was performed. Both patients recovered full motor function between 6 and 8 months after surgery. Although rare, small VS may cause severe facial neuropathy, mimicking the presentation of facial nerve schwannomas and other less common pathologies. In the absence of labyrinthine extension on MRI, surgical exploration is the only reliable means of establishing a diagnosis. In the case of confirmed VS, early gross total resection with facial nerve preservation and labyrinthine segment decompression may afford full motor recovery-an outcome that cannot be achieved with facial nerve grafting.

Late revision or correction of facial trauma-related soft-tissue deformities.

PubMed

Rieck, Kevin L; Fillmore, W Jonathan; Ettinger, Kyle S

2013-11-01

Surgical approaches used in accessing the facial skeleton for fracture repair are often the same as or similar to those used for cosmetic enhancement of the face. Rarely does facial trauma result in injuries that do not in some way affect the facial soft-tissue envelope either directly or as sequelae of the surgical repair. Knowledge of both skeletal and facial soft-tissue anatomy is paramount to successful clinical outcomes. Facial soft-tissue deformities can arise that require specific evaluation and management for correction. This article focuses on revision and correction of these soft-tissue-related injuries secondary to facial trauma. Copyright © 2013. Published by Elsevier Inc.

[Effects of a Facial Muscle Exercise Program including Facial Massage for Patients with Facial Palsy].

PubMed

Choi, Hyoung Ju; Shin, Sung Hee

2016-08-01

The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of a facial muscle exercise program including facial massage on the facial muscle function, subjective symptoms related to paralysis and depression in patients with facial palsy. This study was a quasi-experimental research with a non-equivalent control group non-synchronized design. Participants were 70 patients with facial palsy (experimental group 35, control group 35). For the experimental group, the facial muscular exercise program including facial massage was performed 20 minutes a day, 3 times a week for two weeks. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, χ²-test, Fisher's exact test and independent sample t-test with the SPSS 18.0 program. Facial muscular function of the experimental group improved significantly compared to the control group. There was no significant difference in symptoms related to paralysis between the experimental group and control group. The level of depression in the experimental group was significantly lower than the control group. Results suggest that a facial muscle exercise program including facial massage is an effective nursing intervention to improve facial muscle function and decrease depression in patients with facial palsy.

Dynamic facial expressions evoke distinct activation in the face perception network: a connectivity analysis study.

PubMed

Foley, Elaine; Rippon, Gina; Thai, Ngoc Jade; Longe, Olivia; Senior, Carl

2012-02-01

Very little is known about the neural structures involved in the perception of realistic dynamic facial expressions. In the present study, a unique set of naturalistic dynamic facial emotional expressions was created. Through fMRI and connectivity analysis, a dynamic face perception network was identified, which is demonstrated to extend Haxby et al.'s [Haxby, J. V., Hoffman, E. A., & Gobbini, M. I. The distributed human neural system for face perception. Trends in Cognitive Science, 4, 223-233, 2000] distributed neural system for face perception. This network includes early visual regions, such as the inferior occipital gyrus, which is identified as insensitive to motion or affect but sensitive to the visual stimulus, the STS, identified as specifically sensitive to motion, and the amygdala, recruited to process affect. Measures of effective connectivity between these regions revealed that dynamic facial stimuli were associated with specific increases in connectivity between early visual regions, such as the inferior occipital gyrus and the STS, along with coupling between the STS and the amygdala, as well as the inferior frontal gyrus. These findings support the presence of a distributed network of cortical regions that mediate the perception of different dynamic facial expressions.

Enhancement of vortex induced forces and motion through surface roughness control

DOEpatents

Bernitsas, Michael M [Saline, MI; Raghavan, Kamaldev [Houston, TX

2011-11-01

Roughness is added to the surface of a bluff body in a relative motion with respect to a fluid. The amount, size, and distribution of roughness on the body surface is controlled passively or actively to modify the flow around the body and subsequently the Vortex Induced Forces and Motion (VIFM). The added roughness, when designed and implemented appropriately, affects in a predetermined way the boundary layer, the separation of the boundary layer, the level of turbulence, the wake, the drag and lift forces, and consequently the Vortex Induced Motion (VIM), and the fluid-structure interaction. The goal of surface roughness control is to increase Vortex Induced Forces and Motion. Enhancement is needed in such applications as harnessing of clean and renewable energy from ocean/river currents using the ocean energy converter VIVACE (Vortex Induced Vibration for Aquatic Clean Energy).

Cognitive behavioural therapy attenuates the enhanced early facial stimuli processing in social anxiety disorders: an ERP investigation.

PubMed

Cao, Jianqin; Liu, Quanying; Li, Yang; Yang, Jun; Gu, Ruolei; Liang, Jin; Qi, Yanyan; Wu, Haiyan; Liu, Xun

2017-07-28

Previous studies of patients with social anxiety have demonstrated abnormal early processing of facial stimuli in social contexts. In other words, patients with social anxiety disorder (SAD) tend to exhibit enhanced early facial processing when compared to healthy controls. Few studies have examined the temporal electrophysiological event-related potential (ERP)-indexed profiles when an individual with SAD compares faces to objects in SAD. Systematic comparisons of ERPs to facial/object stimuli before and after therapy are also lacking. We used a passive visual detection paradigm with upright and inverted faces/objects, which are known to elicit early P1 and N170 components, to study abnormal early face processing and subsequent improvements in this measure in patients with SAD. Seventeen patients with SAD and 17 matched control participants performed a passive visual detection paradigm task while undergoing EEG. The healthy controls were compared to patients with SAD pre-therapy to test the hypothesis that patients with SAD have early hypervigilance to facial cues. We compared patients with SAD before and after therapy to test the hypothesis that the early hypervigilance to facial cues in patients with SAD can be alleviated. Compared to healthy control (HC) participants, patients with SAD had more robust P1-N170 slope but no amplitude effects in response to both upright and inverted faces and objects. Interestingly, we found that patients with SAD had reduced P1 responses to all objects and faces after therapy, but had selectively reduced N170 responses to faces, and especially inverted faces. Interestingly, the slope from P1 to N170 in patients with SAD was flatter post-therapy than pre-therapy. Furthermore, the amplitude of N170 evoked by the facial stimuli was correlated with scores on the interaction anxiousness scale (IAS) after therapy. Our results did not provide electrophysiological support for the early hypervigilance hypothesis in SAD to faces, but

[Slowing down the flow of facial information enhances facial scanning in children with autism spectrum disorders: A pilot eye tracking study].

PubMed

Charrier, A; Tardif, C; Gepner, B

2017-02-01

mouth as well as longer mean duration of visual fixation on mouth and eyes, at slow speeds (S50 and/or S70) than at RT one. Slowing down facial dynamics enhances looking time on face, and particularly on mouth and/or eyes, in a group of 23 children with ASD and particularly in a small subgroup with mild autism. Given the crucial role of reading the eyes for emotional processing and that of lip-reading for language processing, our present result and other converging ones could pave the way for novel socio-emotional and verbal rehabilitation methods for autistic population. Further studies should investigate whether increased attention to face and particularly eyes and mouth is correlated to emotional/social and/or verbal/language improvements. Copyright © 2016 L'Encéphale, Paris. Published by Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.

Deficient functional recovery after facial nerve crush in rats is associated with restricted rearrangements of synaptic terminals in the facial nucleus.

PubMed

Hundeshagen, G; Szameit, K; Thieme, H; Finkensieper, M; Angelov, D N; Guntinas-Lichius, O; Irintchev, A

2013-09-17

Crush injuries of peripheral nerves typically lead to axonotmesis, axonal damage without disruption of connective tissue sheaths. Generally, human patients and experimental animals recover well after axonotmesis and the favorable outcome has been attributed to precise axonal reinnervation of the original peripheral targets. Here we assessed functionally and morphologically the long-term consequences of facial nerve axonotmesis in rats. Expectedly, we found that 5 months after crush or cryogenic nerve lesion, the numbers of motoneurons with regenerated axons and their projection pattern into the main branches of the facial nerve were similar to those in control animals suggesting precise target reinnervation. Unexpectedly, however, we found that functional recovery, estimated by vibrissal motion analysis, was incomplete at 2 months after injury and did not improve thereafter. The maximum amplitude of whisking remained substantially, by more than 30% lower than control values even 5 months after axonotmesis. Morphological analyses showed that the facial motoneurons ipsilateral to injury were innervated by lower numbers of glutamatergic terminals (-15%) and cholinergic perisomatic boutons (-26%) compared with the contralateral non-injured motoneurons. The structural deficits were correlated with functional performance of individual animals and associated with microgliosis in the facial nucleus but not with polyinnervation of muscle fibers. These results support the idea that restricted CNS plasticity and insufficient afferent inputs to motoneurons may substantially contribute to functional deficits after facial nerve injuries, possibly including pathologic conditions in humans like axonotmesis in idiopathic facial nerve (Bell's) palsy. Copyright © 2013 IBRO. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Let the Avatar Brighten Your Smile: Effects of Enhancing Facial Expressions in Virtual Environments.

PubMed

Oh, Soo Youn; Bailenson, Jeremy; Krämer, Nicole; Li, Benjamin

2016-01-01

Previous studies demonstrated the positive effects of smiling on interpersonal outcomes. The present research examined if enhancing one's smile in a virtual environment could lead to a more positive communication experience. In the current study, participants' facial expressions were tracked and mapped on a digital avatar during a real-time dyadic conversation. The avatar's smile was rendered such that it was either a slightly enhanced version or a veridical version of the participant's actual smile. Linguistic analyses using the Linguistic Inquiry Word Count (LIWC) revealed that participants who communicated with each other via avatars that exhibited enhanced smiles used more positive words to describe their interaction experience compared to those who communicated via avatars that displayed smiling behavior reflecting the participants' actual smiles. In addition, self-report measures showed that participants in the 'enhanced smile' condition felt more positive affect after the conversation and experienced stronger social presence compared to the 'normal smile' condition. These results are particularly striking when considering the fact that most participants (>90%) were unable to detect the smiling manipulation. This is the first study to demonstrate the positive effects of transforming unacquainted individuals' actual smiling behavior during a real-time avatar-networked conversation.

Non-Cooperative Facial Recognition Video Dataset Collection Plan

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Kimura, Marcia L.; Erikson, Rebecca L.; Lombardo, Nicholas J.

The Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL) will produce a non-cooperative (i.e. not posing for the camera) facial recognition video data set for research purposes to evaluate and enhance facial recognition systems technology. The aggregate data set consists of 1) videos capturing PNNL role players and public volunteers in three key operational settings, 2) photographs of the role players for enrolling in an evaluation database, and 3) ground truth data that documents when the role player is within various camera fields of view. PNNL will deliver the aggregate data set to DHS who may then choose to make it available tomore » other government agencies interested in evaluating and enhancing facial recognition systems. The three operational settings that will be the focus of the video collection effort include: 1) unidirectional crowd flow 2) bi-directional crowd flow, and 3) linear and/or serpentine queues.« less

He Throws like a Girl (but Only when He's Sad): Emotion Affects Sex-Decoding of Biological Motion Displays

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Johnson, Kerri L.; McKay, Lawrie S.; Pollick, Frank E.

2011-01-01

Gender stereotypes have been implicated in sex-typed perceptions of facial emotion. Such interpretations were recently called into question because facial cues of emotion are confounded with sexually dimorphic facial cues. Here we examine the role of visual cues and gender stereotypes in perceptions of biological motion displays, thus overcoming…

[Facial palsy].

PubMed

Cavoy, R

2013-09-01

Facial palsy is a daily challenge for the clinicians. Determining whether facial nerve palsy is peripheral or central is a key step in the diagnosis. Central nervous lesions can give facial palsy which may be easily differentiated from peripheral palsy. The next question is the peripheral facial paralysis idiopathic or symptomatic. A good knowledge of anatomy of facial nerve is helpful. A structure approach is given to identify additional features that distinguish symptomatic facial palsy from idiopathic one. The main cause of peripheral facial palsies is idiopathic one, or Bell's palsy, which remains a diagnosis of exclusion. The most common cause of symptomatic peripheral facial palsy is Ramsay-Hunt syndrome. Early identification of symptomatic facial palsy is important because of often worst outcome and different management. The prognosis of Bell's palsy is on the whole favorable and is improved with a prompt tapering course of prednisone. In Ramsay-Hunt syndrome, an antiviral therapy is added along with prednisone. We also discussed of current treatment recommendations. We will review short and long term complications of peripheral facial palsy.

Sound-induced facial synkinesis following facial nerve paralysis.

PubMed

Ma, Ming-San; van der Hoeven, Johannes H; Nicolai, Jean-Philippe A; Meek, Marcel F

2009-08-01

Facial synkinesis (or synkinesia) (FS) occurs frequently after paresis or paralysis of the facial nerve and is in most cases due to aberrant regeneration of (branches of) the facial nerve. Patients suffer from inappropriate and involuntary synchronous facial muscle contractions. Here we describe two cases of sound-induced facial synkinesis (SFS) after facial nerve injury. As far as we know, this phenomenon has not been described in the English literature before. Patient A presented with right hemifacial palsy after lesion of the facial nerve due to skull base fracture. He reported involuntary muscle activity at the right corner of the mouth, specifically on hearing ringing keys. Patient B suffered from left hemifacial palsy following otitis media and developed involuntary muscle contraction in the facial musculature specifically on hearing clapping hands or a trumpet sound. Both patients were evaluated by means of video, audio and EMG analysis. Possible mechanisms in the pathophysiology of SFS are postulated and therapeutic options are discussed.

Facial dynamics and emotional expressions in facial aging treatments.

PubMed

Michaud, Thierry; Gassia, Véronique; Belhaouari, Lakhdar

2015-03-01

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. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

The effect of age and sex on facial mimicry: a three-dimensional study in healthy adults.

PubMed

Sforza, C; Mapelli, A; Galante, D; Moriconi, S; Ibba, T M; Ferraro, L; Ferrario, V F

2010-10-01

To assess sex- and age-related characteristics in standardized facial movements, 40 healthy adults (20 men, 20 women; aged 20-50 years) performed seven standardized facial movements (maximum smile; free smile; "surprise" with closed mouth; "surprise" with open mouth; eye closure; right- and left-side eye closures). The three-dimensional coordinates of 21 soft tissue facial landmarks were recorded by a motion analyser, their movements computed, and asymmetry indices calculated. Within each movement, total facial mobility was independent from sex and age (analysis of variance, p>0.05). Asymmetry indices of the eyes and mouth were similar in both sexes (p>0.05). Age significantly influenced eye and mouth asymmetries of the right-side eye closure, and eye asymmetry of the surprise movement. On average, the asymmetry indices of the symmetric movements were always lower than 8%, and most did not deviate from the expected value of 0 (Student's t). Larger asymmetries were found for the asymmetric eye closures (eyes, up to 50%, p<0.05; mouth, up to 30%, p<0.05 only in the 20-30-year-old subjects). In conclusion, sex and age had a limited influence on total facial motion and asymmetry in normal adult men and women. Copyright © 2010 International Association of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Enhancement of human skin facial revitalization by moringa leaf extract cream.

PubMed

Ali, Atif; Akhtar, Naveed; Chowdhary, Farzana

2014-05-01

Solar ultraviolet exposure is the main cause of skin damage by initiation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) leading to skin collagen imperfection and eventually skin roughness. This can be reduced by proper revitalization of skin enhancing younger and healthier appearance. To evaluate the skin facial revitalization effect of a cream formulation containing the Moringa oleifera leaf extract on humans. Active cream containing 3% of the concentrated extract of moringa leaves was developed by entrapping in the inner aqueous phase of cream. Base contained no extract. Skin revitalizing parameters, i.e. surface, volume, texture parameters and surface evaluation of the living skin (SELS) were assessed comparatively after application of the base and active cream on human face using Visioscan(®) VC 98 for a period of 3 months. Surface values were increased by the base and decreased by the active cream. Effects produced for the base and active cream were significant and insignificant, respectively, as observed in the case of surface. Unlike the base, the active cream showed significant effects on skin volume, texture parameters (energy, variance and contrast) and SELS, SEr (skin roughness), SEsc (skin scaliness), SEsm (skin smoothness), and SEw (skin wrinkles) parameters. The results suggested that moringa cream enhances skin revitalization effect and supports anti-aging skin effects.

Multiracial Facial Golden Ratio and Evaluation of Facial Appearance.

PubMed

Alam, Mohammad Khursheed; Mohd Noor, Nor Farid; Basri, Rehana; Yew, Tan Fo; Wen, Tay Hui

2015-01-01

This study aimed to investigate the association of facial proportion and its relation to the golden ratio with the evaluation of facial appearance among Malaysian population. This was a cross-sectional study with 286 randomly selected from Universiti Sains Malaysia (USM) Health Campus students (150 females and 136 males; 100 Malaysian Chinese, 100 Malaysian Malay and 86 Malaysian Indian), with the mean age of 21.54 ± 1.56 (Age range, 18-25). Facial indices obtained from direct facial measurements were used for the classification of facial shape into short, ideal and long. A validated structured questionnaire was used to assess subjects' evaluation of their own facial appearance. The mean facial indices of Malaysian Indian (MI), Malaysian Chinese (MC) and Malaysian Malay (MM) were 1.59 ± 0.19, 1.57 ± 0.25 and 1.54 ± 0.23 respectively. Only MC showed significant sexual dimorphism in facial index (P = 0.047; P<0.05) but no significant difference was found between races. Out of the 286 subjects, 49 (17.1%) were of ideal facial shape, 156 (54.5%) short and 81 (28.3%) long. The facial evaluation questionnaire showed that MC had the lowest satisfaction with mean score of 2.18 ± 0.97 for overall impression and 2.15 ± 1.04 for facial parts, compared to MM and MI, with mean score of 1.80 ± 0.97 and 1.64 ± 0.74 respectively for overall impression; 1.75 ± 0.95 and 1.70 ± 0.83 respectively for facial parts. 1) Only 17.1% of Malaysian facial proportion conformed to the golden ratio, with majority of the population having short face (54.5%); 2) Facial index did not depend significantly on races; 3) Significant sexual dimorphism was shown among Malaysian Chinese; 4) All three races are generally satisfied with their own facial appearance; 5) No significant association was found between golden ratio and facial evaluation score among Malaysian population.

Multiracial Facial Golden Ratio and Evaluation of Facial Appearance

PubMed Central

2015-01-01

This study aimed to investigate the association of facial proportion and its relation to the golden ratio with the evaluation of facial appearance among Malaysian population. This was a cross-sectional study with 286 randomly selected from Universiti Sains Malaysia (USM) Health Campus students (150 females and 136 males; 100 Malaysian Chinese, 100 Malaysian Malay and 86 Malaysian Indian), with the mean age of 21.54 ± 1.56 (Age range, 18–25). Facial indices obtained from direct facial measurements were used for the classification of facial shape into short, ideal and long. A validated structured questionnaire was used to assess subjects’ evaluation of their own facial appearance. The mean facial indices of Malaysian Indian (MI), Malaysian Chinese (MC) and Malaysian Malay (MM) were 1.59 ± 0.19, 1.57 ± 0.25 and 1.54 ± 0.23 respectively. Only MC showed significant sexual dimorphism in facial index (P = 0.047; P<0.05) but no significant difference was found between races. Out of the 286 subjects, 49 (17.1%) were of ideal facial shape, 156 (54.5%) short and 81 (28.3%) long. The facial evaluation questionnaire showed that MC had the lowest satisfaction with mean score of 2.18 ± 0.97 for overall impression and 2.15 ± 1.04 for facial parts, compared to MM and MI, with mean score of 1.80 ± 0.97 and 1.64 ± 0.74 respectively for overall impression; 1.75 ± 0.95 and 1.70 ± 0.83 respectively for facial parts. In conclusion: 1) Only 17.1% of Malaysian facial proportion conformed to the golden ratio, with majority of the population having short face (54.5%); 2) Facial index did not depend significantly on races; 3) Significant sexual dimorphism was shown among Malaysian Chinese; 4) All three races are generally satisfied with their own facial appearance; 5) No significant association was found between golden ratio and facial evaluation score among Malaysian population. PMID:26562655

2-tier in-plane motion correction and out-of-plane motion filtering for contrast-enhanced ultrasound.

PubMed

Ta, Casey N; Eghtedari, Mohammad; Mattrey, Robert F; Kono, Yuko; Kummel, Andrew C

2014-11-01

Contrast-enhanced ultrasound (CEUS) cines of focal liver lesions (FLLs) can be quantitatively analyzed to measure tumor perfusion on a pixel-by-pixel basis for diagnostic indication. However, CEUS cines acquired freehand and during free breathing cause nonuniform in-plane and out-of-plane motion from frame to frame. These motions create fluctuations in the time-intensity curves (TICs), reducing the accuracy of quantitative measurements. Out-of-plane motion cannot be corrected by image registration in 2-dimensional CEUS and degrades the quality of in-plane motion correction (IPMC). A 2-tier IPMC strategy and adaptive out-of-plane motion filter (OPMF) are proposed to provide a stable correction of nonuniform motion to reduce the impact of motion on quantitative analyses. A total of 22 cines of FLLs were imaged with dual B-mode and contrast specific imaging to acquire a 3-minute TIC. B-mode images were analyzed for motion, and the motion correction was applied to both B-mode and contrast images. For IPMC, the main reference frame was automatically selected for each cine, and subreference frames were selected in each respiratory cycle and sequentially registered toward the main reference frame. All other frames were sequentially registered toward the local subreference frame. Four OPMFs were developed and tested: subsample normalized correlation (NC), subsample sum of absolute differences, mean frame NC, and histogram. The frames that were most dissimilar to the OPMF reference frame using 1 of the 4 above criteria in each respiratory cycle were adaptively removed by thresholding against the low-pass filter of the similarity curve. Out-of-plane motion filter was quantitatively evaluated by an out-of-plane motion metric (OPMM) that measured normalized variance in the high-pass filtered TIC within the tumor region-of-interest with low OPMM being the goal. Results for IPMC and OPMF were qualitatively evaluated by 2 blinded observers who ranked the motion in the cines

Traumatic facial nerve neuroma with facial palsy presenting in infancy.

PubMed

Clark, James H; Burger, Peter C; Boahene, Derek Kofi; Niparko, John K

2010-07-01

To describe the management of traumatic neuroma of the facial nerve in a child and literature review. Sixteen-month-old male subject. Radiological imaging and surgery. Facial nerve function. The patient presented at 16 months with a right facial palsy and was found to have a right facial nerve traumatic neuroma. A transmastoid, middle fossa resection of the right facial nerve lesion was undertaken with a successful facial nerve-to-hypoglossal nerve anastomosis. The facial palsy improved postoperatively. A traumatic neuroma should be considered in an infant who presents with facial palsy, even in the absence of an obvious history of trauma. The treatment of such lesion is complex in any age group but especially in young children. Symptoms, age, lesion size, growth rate, and facial nerve function determine the appropriate management.

The enhanced nodal equilibrium ocean tide and polar motion

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Sanchez, B. V.

1979-01-01

The tidal response of the ocean to long period forcing functions was investigated. The results indicate the possibility of excitation of a wobble component with the amplitude and frequency indicated by the data. An enhancement function for the equilibrium tide was postulated in the form of an expansion in zonal harmonics and the coefficients of such an expansion were estimated so as to obtain polar motion components of the required magnitude.

Perceptual integration of kinematic components in the recognition of emotional facial expressions.

PubMed

Chiovetto, Enrico; Curio, Cristóbal; Endres, Dominik; Giese, Martin

2018-04-01

According to a long-standing hypothesis in motor control, complex body motion is organized in terms of movement primitives, reducing massively the dimensionality of the underlying control problems. For body movements, this low-dimensional organization has been convincingly demonstrated by the learning of low-dimensional representations from kinematic and EMG data. In contrast, the effective dimensionality of dynamic facial expressions is unknown, and dominant analysis approaches have been based on heuristically defined facial "action units," which reflect contributions of individual face muscles. We determined the effective dimensionality of dynamic facial expressions by learning of a low-dimensional model from 11 facial expressions. We found an amazingly low dimensionality with only two movement primitives being sufficient to simulate these dynamic expressions with high accuracy. This low dimensionality is confirmed statistically, by Bayesian model comparison of models with different numbers of primitives, and by a psychophysical experiment that demonstrates that expressions, simulated with only two primitives, are indistinguishable from natural ones. In addition, we find statistically optimal integration of the emotion information specified by these primitives in visual perception. Taken together, our results indicate that facial expressions might be controlled by a very small number of independent control units, permitting very low-dimensional parametrization of the associated facial expression.

Let the Avatar Brighten Your Smile: Effects of Enhancing Facial Expressions in Virtual Environments

PubMed Central

Oh, Soo Youn; Bailenson, Jeremy; Krämer, Nicole; Li, Benjamin

2016-01-01

Previous studies demonstrated the positive effects of smiling on interpersonal outcomes. The present research examined if enhancing one’s smile in a virtual environment could lead to a more positive communication experience. In the current study, participants’ facial expressions were tracked and mapped on a digital avatar during a real-time dyadic conversation. The avatar’s smile was rendered such that it was either a slightly enhanced version or a veridical version of the participant’s actual smile. Linguistic analyses using the Linguistic Inquiry Word Count (LIWC) revealed that participants who communicated with each other via avatars that exhibited enhanced smiles used more positive words to describe their interaction experience compared to those who communicated via avatars that displayed smiling behavior reflecting the participants’ actual smiles. In addition, self-report measures showed that participants in the ‘enhanced smile’ condition felt more positive affect after the conversation and experienced stronger social presence compared to the ‘normal smile’ condition. These results are particularly striking when considering the fact that most participants (>90%) were unable to detect the smiling manipulation. This is the first study to demonstrate the positive effects of transforming unacquainted individuals’ actual smiling behavior during a real-time avatar-networked conversation. PMID:27603784

The masculinity paradox: facial masculinity and beardedness interact to determine women's ratings of men's facial attractiveness.

PubMed

Dixson, B J W; Sulikowski, D; Gouda-Vossos, A; Rantala, M J; Brooks, R C

2016-11-01

In many species, male secondary sexual traits have evolved via female choice as they confer indirect (i.e. genetic) benefits or direct benefits such as enhanced fertility or survival. In humans, the role of men's characteristically masculine androgen-dependent facial traits in determining men's attractiveness has presented an enduring paradox in studies of human mate preferences. Male-typical facial features such as a pronounced brow ridge and a more robust jawline may signal underlying health, whereas beards may signal men's age and masculine social dominance. However, masculine faces are judged as more attractive for short-term relationships over less masculine faces, whereas beards are judged as more attractive than clean-shaven faces for long-term relationships. Why such divergent effects occur between preferences for two sexually dimorphic traits remains unresolved. In this study, we used computer graphic manipulation to morph male faces varying in facial hair from clean-shaven, light stubble, heavy stubble and full beards to appear more (+25% and +50%) or less (-25% and -50%) masculine. Women (N = 8520) were assigned to treatments wherein they rated these stimuli for physical attractiveness in general, for a short-term liaison or a long-term relationship. Results showed a significant interaction between beardedness and masculinity on attractiveness ratings. Masculinized and, to an even greater extent, feminized faces were less attractive than unmanipulated faces when all were clean-shaven, and stubble and beards dampened the polarizing effects of extreme masculinity and femininity. Relationship context also had effects on ratings, with facial hair enhancing long-term, and not short-term, attractiveness. Effects of facial masculinization appear to have been due to small differences in the relative attractiveness of each masculinity level under the three treatment conditions and not to any change in the order of their attractiveness. Our findings suggest that

Spontaneous Facial Mimicry in Response to Dynamic Facial Expressions

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sato, Wataru; Yoshikawa, Sakiko

2007-01-01

Based on previous neuroscientific evidence indicating activation of the mirror neuron system in response to dynamic facial actions, we hypothesized that facial mimicry would occur while subjects viewed dynamic facial expressions. To test this hypothesis, dynamic/static facial expressions of anger/happiness were presented using computer-morphing…

Effects of agmatine sulphate on facial nerve injuries.

PubMed

Surmelioglu, O; Sencar, L; Ozdemir, S; Tarkan, O; Dagkiran, M; Surmelioglu, N; Tuncer, U; Polat, S

2017-03-01

To evaluate the effect of agmatine sulphate on facial nerve regeneration after facial nerve injury using electron and light microscopy. The study was performed on 30 male Wistar albino rats split into: a control group, a sham-treated group, a study control group, an anastomosis group, and an anastomosis plus agmatine sulphate treatment group. The mandibular branch of the facial nerve was dissected, and a piece was removed for histological and electron microscopic examination. Regeneration was better in the anastomosis group than in the study control group. However, the best regeneration findings were seen in the agmatine sulphate treatment group. There was a significant difference between the agmatine group and the others in terms of median axon numbers (p < 0.004) and diameters (p < 0.004). Agmatine sulphate treatment with anastomosis in traumatic facial paralysis may enhance nerve regeneration.

Brief Report: Representational Momentum for Dynamic Facial Expressions in Pervasive Developmental Disorder

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Uono, Shota; Sato, Wataru; Toichi, Motomi

2010-01-01

Individuals with pervasive developmental disorder (PDD) have difficulty with social communication via emotional facial expressions, but behavioral studies involving static images have reported inconsistent findings about emotion recognition. We investigated whether dynamic presentation of facial expression would enhance subjective perception of…

A motivational determinant of facial emotion recognition: regulatory focus affects recognition of emotions in faces.

PubMed

Sassenrath, Claudia; Sassenberg, Kai; Ray, Devin G; Scheiter, Katharina; Jarodzka, Halszka

2014-01-01

Two studies examined an unexplored motivational determinant of facial emotion recognition: observer regulatory focus. It was predicted that a promotion focus would enhance facial emotion recognition relative to a prevention focus because the attentional strategies associated with promotion focus enhance performance on well-learned or innate tasks - such as facial emotion recognition. In Study 1, a promotion or a prevention focus was experimentally induced and better facial emotion recognition was observed in a promotion focus compared to a prevention focus. In Study 2, individual differences in chronic regulatory focus were assessed and attention allocation was measured using eye tracking during the facial emotion recognition task. Results indicated that the positive relation between a promotion focus and facial emotion recognition is mediated by shorter fixation duration on the face which reflects a pattern of attention allocation matched to the eager strategy in a promotion focus (i.e., striving to make hits). A prevention focus did not have an impact neither on perceptual processing nor on facial emotion recognition. Taken together, these findings demonstrate important mechanisms and consequences of observer motivational orientation for facial emotion recognition.

Recognition of Facial Expressions of Emotion in Adults with Down Syndrome

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Virji-Babul, Naznin; Watt, Kimberley; Nathoo, Farouk; Johnson, Peter

2012-01-01

Research on facial expressions in individuals with Down syndrome (DS) has been conducted using photographs. Our goal was to examine the effect of motion on perception of emotional expressions. Adults with DS, adults with typical development matched for chronological age (CA), and children with typical development matched for developmental age (DA)…

Enhancement of human skin facial revitalization by moringa leaf extract cream

PubMed Central

Akhtar, Naveed; Chowdhary, Farzana

2014-01-01

Introduction Solar ultraviolet exposure is the main cause of skin damage by initiation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) leading to skin collagen imperfection and eventually skin roughness. This can be reduced by proper revitalization of skin enhancing younger and healthier appearance. Aim To evaluate the skin facial revitalization effect of a cream formulation containing the Moringa oleifera leaf extract on humans. Material and methods Active cream containing 3% of the concentrated extract of moringa leaves was developed by entrapping in the inner aqueous phase of cream. Base contained no extract. Skin revitalizing parameters, i.e. surface, volume, texture parameters and surface evaluation of the living skin (SELS) were assessed comparatively after application of the base and active cream on human face using Visioscan® VC 98 for a period of 3 months. Results Surface values were increased by the base and decreased by the active cream. Effects produced for the base and active cream were significant and insignificant, respectively, as observed in the case of surface. Unlike the base, the active cream showed significant effects on skin volume, texture parameters (energy, variance and contrast) and SELS, SEr (skin roughness), SEsc (skin scaliness), SEsm (skin smoothness), and SEw (skin wrinkles) parameters. Conclusions The results suggested that moringa cream enhances skin revitalization effect and supports anti-aging skin effects. PMID:25097471

The role of great auricular-facial nerve neurorrhaphy in facial nerve damage.

PubMed

Sun, Yan; Liu, Limei; Han, Yuechen; Xu, Lei; Zhang, Daogong; Wang, Haibo

2015-01-01

Facial nerve is easy to be damaged, and there are many reconstructive methods for facial nerve reconstructive, such as facial nerve end to end anastomosis, the great auricular nerve graft, the sural nerve graft, or hypoglossal-facial nerve anastomosis. However, there is still little study about great auricular-facial nerve neurorrhaphy. The aim of the present study was to identify the role of great auricular-facial nerve neurorrhaphy and the mechanism. Rat models of facial nerve cut (FC), facial nerve end to end anastomosis (FF), facial-great auricular neurorrhaphy (FG), and control (Ctrl) were established. Apex nasi amesiality observation, electrophysiology and immunofluorescence assays were employed to investigate the function and mechanism. In apex nasi amesiality observation, it was found apex nasi amesiality of FG group was partly recovered. Additionally, electrophysiology and immunofluorescence assays revealed that facial-great auricular neurorrhaphy could transfer nerve impulse and express AChR which was better than facial nerve cut and worse than facial nerve end to end anastomosis. The present study indicated that great auricular-facial nerve neurorrhaphy is a substantial solution for facial lesion repair, as it is efficiently preventing facial muscles atrophy by generating neurotransmitter like ACh.

Facial approximation-from facial reconstruction synonym to face prediction paradigm.

PubMed

Stephan, Carl N

2015-05-01

Facial approximation was first proposed as a synonym for facial reconstruction in 1987 due to dissatisfaction with the connotations the latter label held. Since its debut, facial approximation's identity has morphed as anomalies in face prediction have accumulated. Now underpinned by differences in what problems are thought to count as legitimate, facial approximation can no longer be considered a synonym for, or subclass of, facial reconstruction. Instead, two competing paradigms of face prediction have emerged, namely: facial approximation and facial reconstruction. This paper shines a Kuhnian lens across the discipline of face prediction to comprehensively review these developments and outlines the distinguishing features between the two paradigms. © 2015 American Academy of Forensic Sciences.

Human Facial Expressions as Adaptations:Evolutionary Questions in Facial Expression Research

PubMed Central

SCHMIDT, KAREN L.; COHN, JEFFREY F.

2007-01-01

The importance of the face in social interaction and social intelligence is widely recognized in anthropology. Yet the adaptive functions of human facial expression remain largely unknown. An evolutionary model of human facial expression as behavioral adaptation can be constructed, given the current knowledge of the phenotypic variation, ecological contexts, and fitness consequences of facial behavior. Studies of facial expression are available, but results are not typically framed in an evolutionary perspective. This review identifies the relevant physical phenomena of facial expression and integrates the study of this behavior with the anthropological study of communication and sociality in general. Anthropological issues with relevance to the evolutionary study of facial expression include: facial expressions as coordinated, stereotyped behavioral phenotypes, the unique contexts and functions of different facial expressions, the relationship of facial expression to speech, the value of facial expressions as signals, and the relationship of facial expression to social intelligence in humans and in nonhuman primates. Human smiling is used as an example of adaptation, and testable hypotheses concerning the human smile, as well as other expressions, are proposed. PMID:11786989

Three-dimensional mechanisms of macro-to-micro-scale transport and absorption enhancement by gut villi motions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wang, Yanxing; Brasseur, James G.

2017-06-01

We evaluate the potential for physiological control of intestinal absorption by the generation of "micromixing layers" (MMLs) induced by coordinated motions of mucosal villi coupled with lumen-scale "macro" eddying motions generated by gut motility. To this end, we apply a three-dimensional (3D) multigrid lattice-Boltzmann model of a lid-driven macroscale cavity flow with microscale fingerlike protuberances at the lower surface. Integrated with a previous 2D study of leaflike villi, we generalize to 3D the 2D mechanisms found there to enhance nutrient absorption by controlled villi motility. In three dimensions, increased lateral spacing within villi within groups that move axially with the macroeddy reduces MML strength and absorptive enhancement relative to two dimensions. However, lateral villi motions create helical 3D particle trajectories that enhance absorption rate to the level of axially moving 2D leaflike villi. The 3D enhancements are associated with interesting fundamental adjustments to 2D micro-macro-motility coordination mechanisms and imply a refined potential for physiological or pharmaceutical control of intestinal absorption.

Realistic facial animation generation based on facial expression mapping

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yu, Hui; Garrod, Oliver; Jack, Rachael; Schyns, Philippe

2014-01-01

Facial expressions reflect internal emotional states of a character or in response to social communications. Though much effort has been taken to generate realistic facial expressions, it still remains a challenging topic due to human being's sensitivity to subtle facial movements. In this paper, we present a method for facial animation generation, which reflects true facial muscle movements with high fidelity. An intermediate model space is introduced to transfer captured static AU peak frames based on FACS to the conformed target face. And then dynamic parameters derived using a psychophysics method is integrated to generate facial animation, which is assumed to represent natural correlation of multiple AUs. Finally, the animation sequence in the intermediate model space is mapped to the target face to produce final animation.

Markerless motion estimation for motion-compensated clinical brain imaging

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kyme, Andre Z.; Se, Stephen; Meikle, Steven R.; Fulton, Roger R.

2018-05-01

Motion-compensated brain imaging can dramatically reduce the artifacts and quantitative degradation associated with voluntary and involuntary subject head motion during positron emission tomography (PET), single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) and computed tomography (CT). However, motion-compensated imaging protocols are not in widespread clinical use for these modalities. A key reason for this seems to be the lack of a practical motion tracking technology that allows for smooth and reliable integration of motion-compensated imaging protocols in the clinical setting. We seek to address this problem by investigating the feasibility of a highly versatile optical motion tracking method for PET, SPECT and CT geometries. The method requires no attached markers, relying exclusively on the detection and matching of distinctive facial features. We studied the accuracy of this method in 16 volunteers in a mock imaging scenario by comparing the estimated motion with an accurate marker-based method used in applications such as image guided surgery. A range of techniques to optimize performance of the method were also studied. Our results show that the markerless motion tracking method is highly accurate (<2 mm discrepancy against a benchmarking system) on an ethnically diverse range of subjects and, moreover, exhibits lower jitter and estimation of motion over a greater range than some marker-based methods. Our optimization tests indicate that the basic pose estimation algorithm is very robust but generally benefits from rudimentary background masking. Further marginal gains in accuracy can be achieved by accounting for non-rigid motion of features. Efficiency gains can be achieved by capping the number of features used for pose estimation provided that these features adequately sample the range of head motion encountered in the study. These proof-of-principle data suggest that markerless motion tracking is amenable to motion-compensated brain imaging and holds

The role of great auricular-facial nerve neurorrhaphy in facial nerve damage

PubMed Central

Sun, Yan; Liu, Limei; Han, Yuechen; Xu, Lei; Zhang, Daogong; Wang, Haibo

2015-01-01

Background: Facial nerve is easy to be damaged, and there are many reconstructive methods for facial nerve reconstructive, such as facial nerve end to end anastomosis, the great auricular nerve graft, the sural nerve graft, or hypoglossal-facial nerve anastomosis. However, there is still little study about great auricular-facial nerve neurorrhaphy. The aim of the present study was to identify the role of great auricular-facial nerve neurorrhaphy and the mechanism. Methods: Rat models of facial nerve cut (FC), facial nerve end to end anastomosis (FF), facial-great auricular neurorrhaphy (FG), and control (Ctrl) were established. Apex nasi amesiality observation, electrophysiology and immunofluorescence assays were employed to investigate the function and mechanism. Results: In apex nasi amesiality observation, it was found apex nasi amesiality of FG group was partly recovered. Additionally, electrophysiology and immunofluorescence assays revealed that facial-great auricular neurorrhaphy could transfer nerve impulse and express AChR which was better than facial nerve cut and worse than facial nerve end to end anastomosis. Conclusions: The present study indicated that great auricular-facial nerve neurorrhaphy is a substantial solution for facial lesion repair, as it is efficiently preventing facial muscles atrophy by generating neurotransmitter like ACh. PMID:26550216

(abstract) Synthesis of Speaker Facial Movements to Match Selected Speech Sequences

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Scott, Kenneth C.

1994-01-01

We are developing a system for synthesizing image sequences the simulate the facial motion of a speaker. To perform this synthesis, we are pursuing two major areas of effort. We are developing the necessary computer graphics technology to synthesize a realistic image sequence of a person speaking selected speech sequences. Next, we are developing a model that expresses the relation between spoken phonemes and face/mouth shape. A subject is video taped speaking an arbitrary text that contains expression of the full list of desired database phonemes. The subject is video taped from the front speaking normally, recording both audio and video detail simultaneously. Using the audio track, we identify the specific video frames on the tape relating to each spoken phoneme. From this range we digitize the video frame which represents the extreme of mouth motion/shape. Thus, we construct a database of images of face/mouth shape related to spoken phonemes. A selected audio speech sequence is recorded which is the basis for synthesizing a matching video sequence; the speaker need not be the same as used for constructing the database. The audio sequence is analyzed to determine the spoken phoneme sequence and the relative timing of the enunciation of those phonemes. Synthesizing an image sequence corresponding to the spoken phoneme sequence is accomplished using a graphics technique known as morphing. Image sequence keyframes necessary for this processing are based on the spoken phoneme sequence and timing. We have been successful in synthesizing the facial motion of a native English speaker for a small set of arbitrary speech segments. Our future work will focus on advancement of the face shape/phoneme model and independent control of facial features.

Visuotactile motion congruence enhances gamma-band activity in visual and somatosensory cortices.

PubMed

Krebber, Martin; Harwood, James; Spitzer, Bernhard; Keil, Julian; Senkowski, Daniel

2015-08-15

When touching and viewing a moving surface our visual and somatosensory systems receive congruent spatiotemporal input. Behavioral studies have shown that motion congruence facilitates interplay between visual and tactile stimuli, but the neural mechanisms underlying this interplay are not well understood. Neural oscillations play a role in motion processing and multisensory integration. They may also be crucial for visuotactile motion processing. In this electroencephalography study, we applied linear beamforming to examine the impact of visuotactile motion congruence on beta and gamma band activity (GBA) in visual and somatosensory cortices. Visual and tactile inputs comprised of gratings that moved either in the same or different directions. Participants performed a target detection task that was unrelated to motion congruence. While there were no effects in the beta band (13-21Hz), the power of GBA (50-80Hz) in visual and somatosensory cortices was larger for congruent compared with incongruent motion stimuli. This suggests enhanced bottom-up multisensory processing when visual and tactile gratings moved in the same direction. Supporting its behavioral relevance, GBA was correlated with shorter reaction times in the target detection task. We conclude that motion congruence plays an important role for the integrative processing of visuotactile stimuli in sensory cortices, as reflected by oscillatory responses in the gamma band. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

The Facial Platysma and Its Underappreciated Role in Lower Face Dynamics and Contour.

PubMed

de Almeida, Ada R T; Romiti, Alessandra; Carruthers, Jean D A

2017-08-01

The platysma is a superficial muscle involved in important features of the aging neck. Vertical bands, horizontal lines, and loss of lower face contour are effectively treated with botulinum toxin A (BoNT-A). However, its pars facialis, mandibularis, and modiolaris have been underappreciated. To demonstrate the role of BoNT-A treatment of the upper platysma and its impact on lower face dynamics and contour. Retrospective analysis of cases treated by an injection pattern encompassing the facial platysma components, aiming to block the lower face as a whole complex. It consisted of 2 intramuscular injections into the mentalis muscle and 2 horizontal lines of BoNT-A injections superficially performed above and below the mandible (total dose, 16 onabotulinumtoxinA U/side). Photographs were taken at rest and during motion (frontal and oblique views), before and after treatment. A total of 161 patients have been treated in the last 2 years with the following results: frontal and lateral enhancement of lower facial contour, relaxation of high horizontal lines located just below the lateral mandibular border, and lower deep vertical smile lines present lateral to the oral commissures and melomental folds. The upper platysma muscle plays a relevant role in the functional anatomy of the lower face that can be modulated safely with neuromodulators.

He throws like a girl (but only when he's sad): emotion affects sex-decoding of biological motion displays.

PubMed

Johnson, Kerri L; McKay, Lawrie S; Pollick, Frank E

2011-05-01

Gender stereotypes have been implicated in sex-typed perceptions of facial emotion. Such interpretations were recently called into question because facial cues of emotion are confounded with sexually dimorphic facial cues. Here we examine the role of visual cues and gender stereotypes in perceptions of biological motion displays, thus overcoming the morphological confounding inherent in facial displays. In four studies, participants' judgments revealed gender stereotyping. Observers accurately perceived emotion from biological motion displays (Study 1), and this affected sex categorizations. Angry displays were overwhelmingly judged to be men; sad displays were judged to be women (Studies 2-4). Moreover, this pattern remained strong when stimuli were equated for velocity (Study 3). We argue that these results were obtained because perceivers applied gender stereotypes of emotion to infer sex category (Study 4). Implications for both vision sciences and social psychology are discussed. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

A primary cilia-dependent etiology for midline facial disorders

PubMed Central

Brugmann, Samantha A.; Allen, Nancy C.; James, Aaron W.; Mekonnen, Zesemayat; Madan, Elena; Helms, Jill A.

2010-01-01

Human faces exhibit enormous variation. When pathological conditions are superimposed on normal variation, a nearly unbroken series of facial morphologies is produced. When viewed in full, this spectrum ranges from cyclopia and hypotelorism to hypertelorism and facial duplications. Decreased Hedgehog pathway activity causes holoprosencephaly and hypotelorism. Here, we show that excessive Hedgehog activity, caused by truncating the primary cilia on cranial neural crest cells, causes hypertelorism and frontonasal dysplasia (FND). Elimination of the intraflagellar transport protein Kif3a leads to excessive Hedgehog responsiveness in facial mesenchyme, which is accompanied by broader expression domains of Gli1, Ptc and Shh, and reduced expression domains of Gli3. Furthermore, broader domains of Gli1 expression correspond to areas of enhanced neural crest cell proliferation in the facial prominences of Kif3a conditional knockouts. Avian Talpid embryos that lack primary cilia exhibit similar molecular changes and similar facial phenotypes. Collectively, these data support our hypothesis that a severe narrowing of the facial midline and excessive expansion of the facial midline are both attributable to disruptions in Hedgehog pathway activity. These data also raise the possibility that genes encoding ciliary proteins are candidates for human conditions of hypertelorism and FNDs. PMID:20106874

Easy facial analysis using the facial golden mask.

PubMed

Kim, Yong-Ha

2007-05-01

For over 2000 years, many artists and scientists have tried to understand or quantify the form of the perfect, ideal, or most beautiful face both in art and in vivo (life). A mathematical relationship has been consistently and repeatedly reported to be present in beautiful things. This particular relationship is the golden ratio. It is a mathematical ratio of 1.618:1 that seems to appear recurrently in beautiful things in nature as well as in other things that are seen as beautiful. Dr. Marquardt made the facial golden mask that contains and includes all of the one-dimensional and two-dimensional geometric golden elements formed from the golden ratio. The purpose of this study is to evaluate the usefulness of the golden facial mask. In 40 cases, the authors applied the facial golden mask to preoperative and postoperative photographs and scored each photograph on a 1 to 5 scale from the perspective of their personal aesthetic views. The score was lower when the facial deformity was severe, whereas it was higher when the face was attractive. Compared with the average scores of facial mask applied photographs and nonapplied photographs using a nonparametric test, statistical significance was not reached (P > 0.05). This implies that the facial golden mask may be used as an analytical tool. The facial golden mask is easy to apply, inexpensive, and relatively objective. Therefore, the authors introduce it as a useful facial analysis.

Reproducibility of the dynamics of facial expressions in unilateral facial palsy.

PubMed

Alagha, M A; Ju, X; Morley, S; Ayoub, A

2018-02-01

The aim of this study was to assess the reproducibility of non-verbal facial expressions in unilateral facial paralysis using dynamic four-dimensional (4D) imaging. The Di4D system was used to record five facial expressions of 20 adult patients. The system captured 60 three-dimensional (3D) images per second; each facial expression took 3-4seconds which was recorded in real time. Thus a set of 180 3D facial images was generated for each expression. The procedure was repeated after 30min to assess the reproducibility of the expressions. A mathematical facial mesh consisting of thousands of quasi-point 'vertices' was conformed to the face in order to determine the morphological characteristics in a comprehensive manner. The vertices were tracked throughout the sequence of the 180 images. Five key 3D facial frames from each sequence of images were analyzed. Comparisons were made between the first and second capture of each facial expression to assess the reproducibility of facial movements. Corresponding images were aligned using partial Procrustes analysis, and the root mean square distance between them was calculated and analyzed statistically (paired Student t-test, P<0.05). Facial expressions of lip purse, cheek puff, and raising of eyebrows were reproducible. Facial expressions of maximum smile and forceful eye closure were not reproducible. The limited coordination of various groups of facial muscles contributed to the lack of reproducibility of these facial expressions. 4D imaging is a useful clinical tool for the assessment of facial expressions. Copyright © 2017 International Association of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Facial discrimination in body dysmorphic, obsessive-compulsive and social anxiety disorders.

PubMed

Hübner, Claudia; Wiesendahl, Wiebke; Kleinstäuber, Maria; Stangier, Ulrich; Kathmann, Norbert; Buhlmann, Ulrike

2016-02-28

Body dysmorphic disorder (BDD) is characterized by preoccupation with perceived flaws in one's own appearance. Several risk factors such as aesthetic perceptual sensitivity have been proposed to explain BDD's unique symptomatology. Although research on facial discrimination is limited so far, the few existing studies have produced mixed results. Thus, the purpose of this study was to further examine facial discrimination in BDD. We administered a facial discrimination paradigm, which allows to assess the ability to identify slight to strong facial changes (e.g., hair loss, acne) when presented with an original (unmodified) facial image, relative to a changed (modified) facial image. The experiment was administered in individuals with BDD, social anxiety disorder, obsessive-compulsive disorder, and mentally healthy controls (32 per group, respectively). Overall, groups did not differ with respect to their ability to correctly identify facial aberrations when presented with other people's faces. Our findings do not support the hypothesis of enhanced general aesthetic perceptual sensitivity in individuals with (vs. without) BDD. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Facial expressions and the evolution of the speech rhythm.

PubMed

Ghazanfar, Asif A; Takahashi, Daniel Y

2014-06-01

In primates, different vocalizations are produced, at least in part, by making different facial expressions. Not surprisingly, humans, apes, and monkeys all recognize the correspondence between vocalizations and the facial postures associated with them. However, one major dissimilarity between monkey vocalizations and human speech is that, in the latter, the acoustic output and associated movements of the mouth are both rhythmic (in the 3- to 8-Hz range) and tightly correlated, whereas monkey vocalizations have a similar acoustic rhythmicity but lack the concommitant rhythmic facial motion. This raises the question of how we evolved from a presumptive ancestral acoustic-only vocal rhythm to the one that is audiovisual with improved perceptual sensitivity. According to one hypothesis, this bisensory speech rhythm evolved through the rhythmic facial expressions of ancestral primates. If this hypothesis has any validity, we expect that the extant nonhuman primates produce at least some facial expressions with a speech-like rhythm in the 3- to 8-Hz frequency range. Lip smacking, an affiliative signal observed in many genera of primates, satisfies this criterion. We review a series of studies using developmental, x-ray cineradiographic, EMG, and perceptual approaches with macaque monkeys producing lip smacks to further investigate this hypothesis. We then explore its putative neural basis and remark on important differences between lip smacking and speech production. Overall, the data support the hypothesis that lip smacking may have been an ancestral expression that was linked to vocal output to produce the original rhythmic audiovisual speech-like utterances in the human lineage.

The Prevalence of Cosmetic Facial Plastic Procedures among Facial Plastic Surgeons.

PubMed

Moayer, Roxana; Sand, Jordan P; Han, Albert; Nabili, Vishad; Keller, Gregory S

2018-04-01

This is the first study to report on the prevalence of cosmetic facial plastic surgery use among facial plastic surgeons. The aim of this study is to determine the frequency with which facial plastic surgeons have cosmetic procedures themselves. A secondary aim is to determine whether trends in usage of cosmetic facial procedures among facial plastic surgeons are similar to that of nonsurgeons. The study design was an anonymous, five-question, Internet survey distributed via email set in a single academic institution. Board-certified members of the American Academy of Facial Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery (AAFPRS) were included in this study. Self-reported history of cosmetic facial plastic surgery or minimally invasive procedures were recorded. The survey also queried participants for demographic data. A total of 216 members of the AAFPRS responded to the questionnaire. Ninety percent of respondents were male ( n  = 192) and 10.3% were female ( n  = 22). Thirty-three percent of respondents were aged 31 to 40 years ( n  = 70), 25% were aged 41 to 50 years ( n  = 53), 21.4% were aged 51 to 60 years ( n  = 46), and 20.5% were older than 60 years ( n  = 44). Thirty-six percent of respondents had a surgical cosmetic facial procedure and 75% has at least one minimally invasive cosmetic facial procedure. Facial plastic surgeons are frequent users of cosmetic facial plastic surgery. This finding may be due to access, knowledge base, values, or attitudes. By better understanding surgeon attitudes toward facial plastic surgery, we can improve communication with patients and delivery of care. This study is a first step in understanding use of facial plastic procedures among facial plastic surgeons. Thieme Medical Publishers 333 Seventh Avenue, New York, NY 10001, USA.

Motion correction in periodically-rotated overlapping parallel lines with enhanced reconstruction (PROPELLER) and turboprop MRI.

PubMed

Tamhane, Ashish A; Arfanakis, Konstantinos

2009-07-01

Periodically-rotated overlapping parallel lines with enhanced reconstruction (PROPELLER) and Turboprop MRI are characterized by greatly reduced sensitivity to motion, compared to their predecessors, fast spin-echo (FSE) and gradient and spin-echo (GRASE), respectively. This is due to the inherent self-navigation and motion correction of PROPELLER-based techniques. However, it is unknown how various acquisition parameters that determine k-space sampling affect the accuracy of motion correction in PROPELLER and Turboprop MRI. The goal of this work was to evaluate the accuracy of motion correction in both techniques, to identify an optimal rotation correction approach, and determine acquisition strategies for optimal motion correction. It was demonstrated that blades with multiple lines allow more accurate estimation of motion than blades with fewer lines. Also, it was shown that Turboprop MRI is less sensitive to motion than PROPELLER. Furthermore, it was demonstrated that the number of blades does not significantly affect motion correction. Finally, clinically appropriate acquisition strategies that optimize motion correction are discussed for PROPELLER and Turboprop MRI. (c) 2009 Wiley-Liss, Inc.

Evaluating the Efficacy of an Animation to Enhance Understanding of First Motion Diagrams

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Farmer, E. C.

2011-12-01

Having taught the interpretation of first motion diagrams (sometimes referred to as "beach ball diagrams" due to their appearance) in an Introduction to Physical Geology class over many semesters, I was frustrated with the hand-waving this effort entailed when describing static diagrams. I searched for a computer animation that would show how the initial ground motions in an earthquake correspond to the various shaded regions in each first motion diagram, but was not able to find such a pedagogical tool in existence. I decided to work with the staff of my University's Faculty Computing Services to create something that would serve this need. We designed and constructed an animation of strike-slip motions, which can be seen at http://people.hofstra.edu/alex_smiros/earthquake/grid_22march2011.swf. A still image of the animation appears in Figure 1. In order to see if utilizing this visualization enhanced student understanding of the difficult concepts involved in interpreting first motion diagrams, I compared scores on test questions involving first motion diagrams from two different semester iterations of the course: one was taught without utilizing the animation, and one was taught with utilization of the animation.

Moving to continuous facial expression space using the MPEG-4 facial definition parameter (FDP) set

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Karpouzis, Kostas; Tsapatsoulis, Nicolas; Kollias, Stefanos D.

2000-06-01

Research in facial expression has concluded that at least six emotions, conveyed by human faces, are universally associated with distinct expressions. Sadness, anger, joy, fear, disgust and surprise are categories of expressions that are recognizable across cultures. In this work we form a relation between the description of the universal expressions and the MPEG-4 Facial Definition Parameter Set (FDP). We also investigate the relation between the movement of basic FDPs and the parameters that describe emotion-related words according to some classical psychological studies. In particular Whissel suggested that emotions are points in a space, which seem to occupy two dimensions: activation and evaluation. We show that some of the MPEG-4 Facial Animation Parameters (FAPs), approximated by the motion of the corresponding FDPs, can be combined by means of a fuzzy rule system to estimate the activation parameter. In this way variations of the six archetypal emotions can be achieved. Moreover, Plutchik concluded that emotion terms are unevenly distributed through the space defined by dimensions like Whissel's; instead they tend to form an approximately circular pattern, called 'emotion wheel,' modeled using an angular measure. The 'emotion wheel' can be defined as a reference for creating intermediate expressions from the universal ones, by interpolating the movement of dominant FDP points between neighboring basic expressions. By exploiting the relation between the movement of the basic FDP point and the activation and angular parameters we can model more emotions than the primary ones and achieve efficient recognition in video sequences.

Measuring Facial Movement

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ekman, Paul; Friesen, Wallace V.

1976-01-01

The Facial Action Code (FAC) was derived from an analysis of the anatomical basis of facial movement. The development of the method is explained, contrasting it to other methods of measuring facial behavior. An example of how facial behavior is measured is provided, and ideas about research applications are discussed. (Author)

Effect of a Facial Muscle Exercise Device on Facial Rejuvenation

PubMed Central

Hwang, Ui-jae; Kwon, Oh-yun; Jung, Sung-hoon; Ahn, Sun-hee; Gwak, Gyeong-tae

2018-01-01

Abstract Background The efficacy of facial muscle exercises (FMEs) for facial rejuvenation is controversial. In the majority of previous studies, nonquantitative assessment tools were used to assess the benefits of FMEs. Objectives This study examined the effectiveness of FMEs using a Pao (MTG, Nagoya, Japan) device to quantify facial rejuvenation. Methods Fifty females were asked to perform FMEs using a Pao device for 30 seconds twice a day for 8 weeks. Facial muscle thickness and cross-sectional area were measured sonographically. Facial surface distance, surface area, and volumes were determined using a laser scanning system before and after FME. Facial muscle thickness, cross-sectional area, midfacial surface distances, jawline surface distance, and lower facial surface area and volume were compared bilaterally before and after FME using a paired Student t test. Results The cross-sectional areas of the zygomaticus major and digastric muscles increased significantly (right: P < 0.001, left: P = 0.015), while the midfacial surface distances in the middle (right: P = 0.005, left: P = 0.047) and lower (right: P = 0.028, left: P = 0.019) planes as well as the jawline surface distances (right: P = 0.004, left: P = 0.003) decreased significantly after FME using the Pao device. The lower facial surface areas (right: P = 0.005, left: P = 0.006) and volumes (right: P = 0.001, left: P = 0.002) were also significantly reduced after FME using the Pao device. Conclusions FME using the Pao device can increase facial muscle thickness and cross-sectional area, thus contributing to facial rejuvenation. Level of Evidence: 4 PMID:29365050

Serial neurophysiological and neurophysiological examinations for delayed facial nerve palsy in a patient with Fisher syndrome.

PubMed

Umekawa, Motoyuki; Hatano, Keiko; Matsumoto, Hideyuki; Shimizu, Takahiro; Hashida, Hideji

2017-05-27

The patient was a 47-year-old man who presented with diplopia and gait instability with a gradual onset over the course of three days. Neurological examinations showed ophthalmoplegia, diminished tendon reflexes, and truncal ataxia. Tests for anti-GQ1b antibodies and several other antibodies to ganglioside complex were positive. We made a diagnosis of Fisher syndrome. After administration of intravenous immunoglobulin, the patient's symptoms gradually improved. However, bilateral facial palsy appeared during the recovery phase. Brain MRI showed intensive contrast enhancement of bilateral facial nerves. During the onset phase of facial palsy, the amplitude of the compound muscle action potential (CMAP) in the facial nerves was preserved. During the peak phase, the facial CMAP amplitude was within the lower limit of normal values, or mildly decreased. During the recovery phase, the CMAP amplitude was normalized, and the R1 and R2 responses of the blink reflex were prolonged. The delayed facial nerve palsy improved spontaneously, and the enhancement on brain MRI disappeared. Serial neurophysiological and neuroradiological examinations suggested that the main lesions existed in the proximal part of the facial nerves and the mild lesions existed in the facial nerve terminals, probably due to reversible conduction failure.

Further enhancement of facial appearance with a hydroquinone skin care system plus tretinoin in patients previously treated with botulinum toxin Type A.

PubMed

Schlessinger, Joel; Kenkel, Jeffrey; Werschler, Philip

2011-07-01

A hydroquinone (HQ) skin care system has been designed for use in conjunction with nonsurgical procedures. The authors evaluate the efficacy of this system plus tretinoin for improving facial appearance in comparison to a standard skin care regimen in users of botulinum toxin Type A (BoNT-A). In this multicenter, randomized, investigator-masked, parallel-group study, 61 patients who received upper facial treatment with BoNT-A at a plastic surgery or dermatology clinic were randomly assigned to apply either the HQ system (cleanser, toner, proprietary 4% hydroquinone, exfoliant, and sunscreen) plus 0.05% tretinoin cream or a standard skin care regimen (cleanser, moisturizer, and sunscreen) for 120 days. Outcomes were assessed by the investigators and through a patient questionnaire. Compared with standard skin care, the HQ system plus tretinoin resulted in significantly milder fine lines/wrinkles and hyperpigmentation at Days 30, 90, and 120 (p ≤ .05) and significantly superior overall ratings for each of nine patient assessments at Days 90 and 120 (p ≤ .05). A relatively greater proportion of patients using the HQ system plus tretinoin believed that their study treatment had further enhanced the improvements attained with BoNT-A (86% vs 8%). Both regimens were generally well tolerated. Adjunctive use of the HQ system plus tretinoin can further enhance the improvements in facial appearance attained with BoNT-A. Applying the HQ system plus tretinoin offers multiple clinical benefits over standard skin care, including significantly greater improvements in fine lines/wrinkles and hyperpigmentation.

Facial Fractures.

PubMed

Ghosh, Rajarshi; Gopalkrishnan, Kulandaswamy

2018-06-01

The aim of this study is to retrospectively analyze the incidence of facial fractures along with age, gender predilection, etiology, commonest site, associated dental injuries, and any complications of patients operated in Craniofacial Unit of SDM College of Dental Sciences and Hospital. This retrospective study was conducted at the Department of OMFS, SDM College of Dental Sciences, Dharwad from January 2003 to December 2013. Data were recorded for the cause of injury, age and gender distribution, frequency and type of injury, localization and frequency of soft tissue injuries, dentoalveolar trauma, facial bone fractures, complications, concomitant injuries, and different treatment protocols.All the data were analyzed using statistical analysis that is chi-squared test. A total of 1146 patients reported at our unit with facial fractures during these 10 years. Males accounted for a higher frequency of facial fractures (88.8%). Mandible was the commonest bone to be fractured among all the facial bones (71.2%). Maxillary central incisors were the most common teeth to be injured (33.8%) and avulsion was the most common type of injury (44.6%). Commonest postoperative complication was plate infection (11%) leading to plate removal. Other injuries associated with facial fractures were rib fractures, head injuries, upper and lower limb fractures, etc., among these rib fractures were seen most frequently (21.6%). This study was performed to compare the different etiologic factors leading to diverse facial fracture patterns. By statistical analysis of this record the authors come to know about the relationship of facial fractures with gender, age, associated comorbidities, etc.

Live Speech Driven Head-and-Eye Motion Generators.

PubMed

Le, Binh H; Ma, Xiaohan; Deng, Zhigang

2012-11-01

This paper describes a fully automated framework to generate realistic head motion, eye gaze, and eyelid motion simultaneously based on live (or recorded) speech input. Its central idea is to learn separate yet interrelated statistical models for each component (head motion, gaze, or eyelid motion) from a prerecorded facial motion data set: 1) Gaussian Mixture Models and gradient descent optimization algorithm are employed to generate head motion from speech features; 2) Nonlinear Dynamic Canonical Correlation Analysis model is used to synthesize eye gaze from head motion and speech features, and 3) nonnegative linear regression is used to model voluntary eye lid motion and log-normal distribution is used to describe involuntary eye blinks. Several user studies are conducted to evaluate the effectiveness of the proposed speech-driven head and eye motion generator using the well-established paired comparison methodology. Our evaluation results clearly show that this approach can significantly outperform the state-of-the-art head and eye motion generation algorithms. In addition, a novel mocap+video hybrid data acquisition technique is introduced to record high-fidelity head movement, eye gaze, and eyelid motion simultaneously.

Decoding facial blends of emotion: visual field, attentional and hemispheric biases.

PubMed

Ross, Elliott D; Shayya, Luay; Champlain, Amanda; Monnot, Marilee; Prodan, Calin I

2013-12-01

Most clinical research assumes that modulation of facial expressions is lateralized predominantly across the right-left hemiface. However, social psychological research suggests that facial expressions are organized predominantly across the upper-lower face. Because humans learn to cognitively control facial expression for social purposes, the lower face may display a false emotion, typically a smile, to enable approach behavior. In contrast, the upper face may leak a person's true feeling state by producing a brief facial blend of emotion, i.e. a different emotion on the upper versus lower face. Previous studies from our laboratory have shown that upper facial emotions are processed preferentially by the right hemisphere under conditions of directed attention if facial blends of emotion are presented tachistoscopically to the mid left and right visual fields. This paper explores how facial blends are processed within the four visual quadrants. The results, combined with our previous research, demonstrate that lower more so than upper facial emotions are perceived best when presented to the viewer's left and right visual fields just above the horizontal axis. Upper facial emotions are perceived best when presented to the viewer's left visual field just above the horizontal axis under conditions of directed attention. Thus, by gazing at a person's left ear, which also avoids the social stigma of eye-to-eye contact, one's ability to decode facial expressions should be enhanced. Published by Elsevier Inc.

The association between PTSD and facial affect recognition.

PubMed

Williams, Christian L; Milanak, Melissa E; Judah, Matt R; Berenbaum, Howard

2018-05-05

The major aims of this study were to examine how, if at all, having higher levels of PTSD would be associated with performance on a facial affect recognition task in which facial expressions of emotion are superimposed on emotionally valenced, non-face images. College students with trauma histories (N = 90) completed a facial affect recognition task as well as measures of exposure to traumatic events, and PTSD symptoms. When the face and context matched, participants with higher levels of PTSD were significantly more accurate. When the face and context were mismatched, participants with lower levels of PTSD were more accurate than were those with higher levels of PTSD. These findings suggest that PTSD is associated with how people process affective information. Furthermore, these results suggest that the enhanced attention of people with higher levels of PTSD to affective information can be either beneficial or detrimental to their ability to accurately identify facial expressions of emotion. Limitations, future directions and clinical implications are discussed. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Restoration of the Donor Face After Facial Allotransplantation

PubMed Central

Grant, Gerald T.; Liacouras, Peter; Santiago, Gabriel F.; Garcia, Juan R.; Al Rakan, Mohammed; Murphy, Ryan; Armand, Mehran; Gordon, Chad R.

2014-01-01

Introduction Current protocols for facial transplantation include the mandatory fabrication of an alloplastic “mask” to restore the congruency of the donor site in the setting of “open casket” burial. However, there is currently a paucity of literature describing the current state-of-the-art and available options. Methods During this study, we identified that most of donor masks are fabricated using conventional methods of impression, molds, silicone, and/or acrylic application by an experienced anaplastologist or maxillofacial prosthetics technician. However, with the recent introduction of several enhanced computer-assisted technologies, our facial transplant team hypothesized that there were areas for improvement with respect to cost and preparation time. Results The use of digital imaging for virtual surgical manipulation, computer-assisted planning, and prefabricated surgical cutting guides—in the setting of facial transplantation—provided us a novel opportunity for digital design and fabrication of a donor mask. The results shown here demonstrate an acceptable appearance for “open-casket” burial while maintaining donor identity after facial organ recovery. Conclusions Several newer techniques for fabrication of facial transplant donor masks exist currently and are described within the article. These encompass digital impression, digital design, and additive manufacturing technology. PMID:24835867

Automatic Contour Extraction of Facial Organs for Frontal Facial Images with Various Facial Expressions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kobayashi, Hiroshi; Suzuki, Seiji; Takahashi, Hisanori; Tange, Akira; Kikuchi, Kohki

This study deals with a method to realize automatic contour extraction of facial features such as eyebrows, eyes and mouth for the time-wise frontal face with various facial expressions. Because Snakes which is one of the most famous methods used to extract contours, has several disadvantages, we propose a new method to overcome these issues. We define the elastic contour model in order to hold the contour shape and then determine the elastic energy acquired by the amount of modification of the elastic contour model. Also we utilize the image energy obtained by brightness differences of the control points on the elastic contour model. Applying the dynamic programming method, we determine the contour position where the total value of the elastic energy and the image energy becomes minimum. Employing 1/30s time-wise facial frontal images changing from neutral to one of six typical facial expressions obtained from 20 subjects, we have estimated our method and find it enables high accuracy automatic contour extraction of facial features.

Three-Dimensional Accuracy of Facial Scan for Facial Deformities in Clinics: A New Evaluation Method for Facial Scanner Accuracy.

PubMed

Zhao, Yi-Jiao; Xiong, Yu-Xue; Wang, Yong

2017-01-01

In this study, the practical accuracy (PA) of optical facial scanners for facial deformity patients in oral clinic was evaluated. Ten patients with a variety of facial deformities from oral clinical were included in the study. For each patient, a three-dimensional (3D) face model was acquired, via a high-accuracy industrial "line-laser" scanner (Faro), as the reference model and two test models were obtained, via a "stereophotography" (3dMD) and a "structured light" facial scanner (FaceScan) separately. Registration based on the iterative closest point (ICP) algorithm was executed to overlap the test models to reference models, and "3D error" as a new measurement indicator calculated by reverse engineering software (Geomagic Studio) was used to evaluate the 3D global and partial (upper, middle, and lower parts of face) PA of each facial scanner. The respective 3D accuracy of stereophotography and structured light facial scanners obtained for facial deformities was 0.58±0.11 mm and 0.57±0.07 mm. The 3D accuracy of different facial partitions was inconsistent; the middle face had the best performance. Although the PA of two facial scanners was lower than their nominal accuracy (NA), they all met the requirement for oral clinic use.

Self-Motion and the Shaping of Sensory Signals

PubMed Central

Jenks, Robert A.; Vaziri, Ashkan; Boloori, Ali-Reza

2010-01-01

Sensory systems must form stable representations of the external environment in the presence of self-induced variations in sensory signals. It is also possible that the variations themselves may provide useful information about self-motion relative to the external environment. Rats have been shown to be capable of fine texture discrimination and object localization based on palpation by facial vibrissae, or whiskers, alone. During behavior, the facial vibrissae brush against objects and undergo deflection patterns that are influenced both by the surface features of the objects and by the animal's own motion. The extent to which behavioral variability shapes the sensory inputs to this pathway is unknown. Using high-resolution, high-speed videography of unconstrained rats running on a linear track, we measured several behavioral variables including running speed, distance to the track wall, and head angle, as well as the proximal vibrissa deflections while the distal portions of the vibrissae were in contact with periodic gratings. The measured deflections, which serve as the sensory input to this pathway, were strongly modulated both by the properties of the gratings and the trial-to-trial variations in head-motion and locomotion. Using presumed internal knowledge of locomotion and head-rotation, gratings were classified using short-duration trials (<150 ms) from high-frequency vibrissa motion, and the continuous trajectory of the animal's own motion through the track was decoded from the low frequency content. Together, these results suggest that rats have simultaneous access to low- and high-frequency information about their environment, which has been shown to be parsed into different processing streams that are likely important for accurate object localization and texture coding. PMID:20164407

Facial expression recognition based on improved local ternary pattern and stacked auto-encoder

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wu, Yao; Qiu, Weigen

2017-08-01

In order to enhance the robustness of facial expression recognition, we propose a method of facial expression recognition based on improved Local Ternary Pattern (LTP) combined with Stacked Auto-Encoder (SAE). This method uses the improved LTP extraction feature, and then uses the improved depth belief network as the detector and classifier to extract the LTP feature. The combination of LTP and improved deep belief network is realized in facial expression recognition. The recognition rate on CK+ databases has improved significantly.

Eye tracking reveals a crucial role for facial motion in recognition of faces by infants

PubMed Central

Xiao, Naiqi G.; Quinn, Paul C.; Liu, Shaoying; Ge, Liezhong; Pascalis, Olivier; Lee, Kang

2015-01-01

Current knowledge about face processing in infancy comes largely from studies using static face stimuli, but faces that infants see in the real world are mostly moving ones. To bridge this gap, 3-, 6-, and 9-month-old Asian infants (N = 118) were familiarized with either moving or static Asian female faces and then their face recognition was tested with static face images. Eye tracking methodology was used to record eye movements during familiarization and test phases. The results showed a developmental change in eye movement patterns, but only for the moving faces. In addition, the more infants shifted their fixations across facial regions, the better was their face recognition, but only for the moving faces. The results suggest that facial movement influences the way faces are encoded from early in development. PMID:26010387

Cyclic motion encoding for enhanced MR visualization of slip interfaces.

PubMed

Mariappan, Yogesh K; Glaser, Kevin J; Manduca, Armando; Ehman, Richard L

2009-10-01

To develop and test a magnetic resonance imaging-based method for assessing the mechanical shear connectivity across tissue interfaces with phantom experiments and in vivo feasibility studies. External vibrations were applied to phantoms and tissue and the differential motion on either side of interfaces within the media was mapped onto the phase of the MR images using cyclic motion encoding gradients. The phase variations within the voxels of functional slip interfaces reduced the net magnitude signal in those regions, thus enhancing their visualization. A simple two-compartment model was developed to relate this signal loss to the intravoxel phase variations. In vivo studies of the abdomen and forearm were performed to visualize slip interfaces in healthy volunteers. The phantom experiments demonstrated that the proposed technique can assess the functionality of shear slip interfaces and they provided experimental validation for the theoretical model developed. Studies of the abdomen showed that the slip interface between the small bowel and the peritoneal wall can be visualized. In the forearm, this technique was able to depict the slip interfaces between the functional compartments of the extrinsic forearm muscles. Functional shear slip interfaces can be visualized sensitively using cyclic motion encoding of externally applied tissue vibrations. (c) 2009 Wiley-Liss, Inc.

Emotional facial activation induced by unconsciously perceived dynamic facial expressions.

PubMed

Kaiser, Jakob; Davey, Graham C L; Parkhouse, Thomas; Meeres, Jennifer; Scott, Ryan B

2016-12-01

Do facial expressions of emotion influence us when not consciously perceived? Methods to investigate this question have typically relied on brief presentation of static images. In contrast, real facial expressions are dynamic and unfold over several seconds. Recent studies demonstrate that gaze contingent crowding (GCC) can block awareness of dynamic expressions while still inducing behavioural priming effects. The current experiment tested for the first time whether dynamic facial expressions presented using this method can induce unconscious facial activation. Videos of dynamic happy and angry expressions were presented outside participants' conscious awareness while EMG measurements captured activation of the zygomaticus major (active when smiling) and the corrugator supercilii (active when frowning). Forced-choice classification of expressions confirmed they were not consciously perceived, while EMG revealed significant differential activation of facial muscles consistent with the expressions presented. This successful demonstration opens new avenues for research examining the unconscious emotional influences of facial expressions. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Emotional facial expressions evoke faster orienting responses, but weaker emotional responses at neural and behavioural levels compared to scenes: A simultaneous EEG and facial EMG study.

PubMed

Mavratzakis, Aimee; Herbert, Cornelia; Walla, Peter

2016-01-01

In the current study, electroencephalography (EEG) was recorded simultaneously with facial electromyography (fEMG) to determine whether emotional faces and emotional scenes are processed differently at the neural level. In addition, it was investigated whether these differences can be observed at the behavioural level via spontaneous facial muscle activity. Emotional content of the stimuli did not affect early P1 activity. Emotional faces elicited enhanced amplitudes of the face-sensitive N170 component, while its counterpart, the scene-related N100, was not sensitive to emotional content of scenes. At 220-280ms, the early posterior negativity (EPN) was enhanced only slightly for fearful as compared to neutral or happy faces. However, its amplitudes were significantly enhanced during processing of scenes with positive content, particularly over the right hemisphere. Scenes of positive content also elicited enhanced spontaneous zygomatic activity from 500-750ms onwards, while happy faces elicited no such changes. Contrastingly, both fearful faces and negative scenes elicited enhanced spontaneous corrugator activity at 500-750ms after stimulus onset. However, relative to baseline EMG changes occurred earlier for faces (250ms) than for scenes (500ms) whereas for scenes activity changes were more pronounced over the whole viewing period. Taking into account all effects, the data suggests that emotional facial expressions evoke faster attentional orienting, but weaker affective neural activity and emotional behavioural responses compared to emotional scenes. Copyright © 2015 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Genetic Factors That Increase Male Facial Masculinity Decrease Facial Attractiveness of Female Relatives

PubMed Central

Lee, Anthony J.; Mitchem, Dorian G.; Wright, Margaret J.; Martin, Nicholas G.; Keller, Matthew C.; Zietsch, Brendan P.

2014-01-01

For women, choosing a facially masculine man as a mate is thought to confer genetic benefits to offspring. Crucial assumptions of this hypothesis have not been adequately tested. It has been assumed that variation in facial masculinity is due to genetic variation and that genetic factors that increase male facial masculinity do not increase facial masculinity in female relatives. We objectively quantified the facial masculinity in photos of identical (n = 411) and nonidentical (n = 782) twins and their siblings (n = 106). Using biometrical modeling, we found that much of the variation in male and female facial masculinity is genetic. However, we also found that masculinity of male faces is unrelated to their attractiveness and that facially masculine men tend to have facially masculine, less-attractive sisters. These findings challenge the idea that facially masculine men provide net genetic benefits to offspring and call into question this popular theoretical framework. PMID:24379153

Genetic factors that increase male facial masculinity decrease facial attractiveness of female relatives.

PubMed

Lee, Anthony J; Mitchem, Dorian G; Wright, Margaret J; Martin, Nicholas G; Keller, Matthew C; Zietsch, Brendan P

2014-02-01

For women, choosing a facially masculine man as a mate is thought to confer genetic benefits to offspring. Crucial assumptions of this hypothesis have not been adequately tested. It has been assumed that variation in facial masculinity is due to genetic variation and that genetic factors that increase male facial masculinity do not increase facial masculinity in female relatives. We objectively quantified the facial masculinity in photos of identical (n = 411) and nonidentical (n = 782) twins and their siblings (n = 106). Using biometrical modeling, we found that much of the variation in male and female facial masculinity is genetic. However, we also found that masculinity of male faces is unrelated to their attractiveness and that facially masculine men tend to have facially masculine, less-attractive sisters. These findings challenge the idea that facially masculine men provide net genetic benefits to offspring and call into question this popular theoretical framework.

[Facial nerve neurinomas].

PubMed

Sokołowski, Jacek; Bartoszewicz, Robert; Morawski, Krzysztof; Jamróz, Barbara; Niemczyk, Kazimierz

2013-01-01

Evaluation of diagnostic, surgical technique, treatment results facial nerve neurinomas and its comparison with literature was the main purpose of this study. Seven cases of patients (2005-2011) with facial nerve schwannomas were included to retrospective analysis in the Department of Otolaryngology, Medical University of Warsaw. All patients were assessed with history of the disease, physical examination, hearing tests, computed tomography and/or magnetic resonance imaging, electronystagmography. Cases were observed in the direction of potential complications and recurrences. Neurinoma of the facial nerve occurred in the vertical segment (n=2), facial nerve geniculum (n=1) and the internal auditory canal (n=4). The symptoms observed in patients were analyzed: facial nerve paresis (n=3), hearing loss (n=2), dizziness (n=1). Magnetic resonance imaging and computed tomography allowed to confirm the presence of the tumor and to assess its staging. Schwannoma of the facial nerve has been surgically removed using the middle fossa approach (n=5) and by antromastoidectomy (n=2). Anatomical continuity of the facial nerve was achieved in 3 cases. In the twelve months after surgery, facial nerve paresis was rated at level II-III° HB. There was no recurrence of the tumor in radiological observation. Facial nerve neurinoma is a rare tumor. Currently surgical techniques allow in most cases, the radical removing of the lesion and reconstruction of the VII nerve function. The rate of recurrence is low. A tumor of the facial nerve should be considered in the differential diagnosis of nerve VII paresis. Copyright © 2013 Polish Otorhinolaryngology - Head and Neck Surgery Society. Published by Elsevier Urban & Partner Sp. z.o.o. All rights reserved.

Quantitative facial asymmetry: using three-dimensional photogrammetry to measure baseline facial surface symmetry.

PubMed

Taylor, Helena O; Morrison, Clinton S; Linden, Olivia; Phillips, Benjamin; Chang, Johnny; Byrne, Margaret E; Sullivan, Stephen R; Forrest, Christopher R

2014-01-01

Although symmetry is hailed as a fundamental goal of aesthetic and reconstructive surgery, our tools for measuring this outcome have been limited and subjective. With the advent of three-dimensional photogrammetry, surface geometry can be captured, manipulated, and measured quantitatively. Until now, few normative data existed with regard to facial surface symmetry. Here, we present a method for reproducibly calculating overall facial symmetry and present normative data on 100 subjects. We enrolled 100 volunteers who underwent three-dimensional photogrammetry of their faces in repose. We collected demographic data on age, sex, and race and subjectively scored facial symmetry. We calculated the root mean square deviation (RMSD) between the native and reflected faces, reflecting about a plane of maximum symmetry. We analyzed the interobserver reliability of the subjective assessment of facial asymmetry and the quantitative measurements and compared the subjective and objective values. We also classified areas of greatest asymmetry as localized to the upper, middle, or lower facial thirds. This cluster of normative data was compared with a group of patients with subtle but increasing amounts of facial asymmetry. We imaged 100 subjects by three-dimensional photogrammetry. There was a poor interobserver correlation between subjective assessments of asymmetry (r = 0.56). There was a high interobserver reliability for quantitative measurements of facial symmetry RMSD calculations (r = 0.91-0.95). The mean RMSD for this normative population was found to be 0.80 ± 0.24 mm. Areas of greatest asymmetry were distributed as follows: 10% upper facial third, 49% central facial third, and 41% lower facial third. Precise measurement permitted discrimination of subtle facial asymmetry within this normative group and distinguished norms from patients with subtle facial asymmetry, with placement of RMSDs along an asymmetry ruler. Facial surface symmetry, which is poorly assessed

Retrospective case series of the imaging findings of facial nerve hemangioma.

PubMed

Yue, Yunlong; Jin, Yanfang; Yang, Bentao; Yuan, Hui; Li, Jiandong; Wang, Zhenchang

2015-09-01

The aim was to compare high-resolution computed tomography (HRCT) and thin-section magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) findings of facial nerve hemangioma. The HRCT and MRI characteristics of 17 facial nerve hemangiomas diagnosed between 2006 and 2013 were retrospectively analyzed. All patients included in the study suffered from a space-occupying lesion of soft tissues at the geniculate ganglion fossa. Affected nerve was compared for size and shape with the contralateral unaffected nerve. HRCT showed irregular expansion and broadening of the facial nerve canal, damage of the bone wall and destruction of adjacent bone, with "point"-like or "needle"-like calcifications in 14 cases. The average CT value was 320.9 ± 141.8 Hu. Fourteen patients had a widened labyrinthine segment; 6/17 had a tympanic segment widening; 2/17 had a greater superficial petrosal nerve canal involvement, and 2/17 had an affected internal auditory canal (IAC) segment. On MRI, all lesions were significantly enhanced due to high blood supply. Using 2D FSE T2WI, the lesion detection rate was 82.4 % (14/17). 3D fast imaging employing steady-state acquisition (3D FIESTA) revealed the lesions in all patients. HRCT showed that the average number of involved segments in the facial nerve canal was 2.41, while MRI revealed an average of 2.70 segments (P < 0.05). HRCT and MR findings of facial nerve hemangioma were typical, revealing irregular masses growing along the facial nerve canal, with calcifications and rich blood supply. Thin-section enhanced MRI was more accurate in lesion detection and assessment compared with HRCT.

Brief report: Representational momentum for dynamic facial expressions in pervasive developmental disorder.

PubMed

Uono, Shota; Sato, Wataru; Toichi, Motomi

2010-03-01

Individuals with pervasive developmental disorder (PDD) have difficulty with social communication via emotional facial expressions, but behavioral studies involving static images have reported inconsistent findings about emotion recognition. We investigated whether dynamic presentation of facial expression would enhance subjective perception of expressed emotion in 13 individuals with PDD and 13 typically developing controls. We presented dynamic and static emotional (fearful and happy) expressions. Participants were asked to match a changeable emotional face display with the last presented image. The results showed that both groups perceived the last image of dynamic facial expression to be more emotionally exaggerated than the static facial expression. This finding suggests that individuals with PDD have an intact perceptual mechanism for processing dynamic information in another individual's face.

Oxytocin Promotes Facial Emotion Recognition and Amygdala Reactivity in Adults with Asperger Syndrome

PubMed Central

Domes, Gregor; Kumbier, Ekkehardt; Heinrichs, Markus; Herpertz, Sabine C

2014-01-01

The neuropeptide oxytocin has recently been shown to enhance eye gaze and emotion recognition in healthy men. Here, we report a randomized double-blind, placebo-controlled trial that examined the neural and behavioral effects of a single dose of intranasal oxytocin on emotion recognition in individuals with Asperger syndrome (AS), a clinical condition characterized by impaired eye gaze and facial emotion recognition. Using functional magnetic resonance imaging, we examined whether oxytocin would enhance emotion recognition from facial sections of the eye vs the mouth region and modulate regional activity in brain areas associated with face perception in both adults with AS, and a neurotypical control group. Intranasal administration of the neuropeptide oxytocin improved performance in a facial emotion recognition task in individuals with AS. This was linked to increased left amygdala reactivity in response to facial stimuli and increased activity in the neural network involved in social cognition. Our data suggest that the amygdala, together with functionally associated cortical areas mediate the positive effect of oxytocin on social cognitive functioning in AS. PMID:24067301

Oxytocin promotes facial emotion recognition and amygdala reactivity in adults with asperger syndrome.

PubMed

Domes, Gregor; Kumbier, Ekkehardt; Heinrichs, Markus; Herpertz, Sabine C

2014-02-01

The neuropeptide oxytocin has recently been shown to enhance eye gaze and emotion recognition in healthy men. Here, we report a randomized double-blind, placebo-controlled trial that examined the neural and behavioral effects of a single dose of intranasal oxytocin on emotion recognition in individuals with Asperger syndrome (AS), a clinical condition characterized by impaired eye gaze and facial emotion recognition. Using functional magnetic resonance imaging, we examined whether oxytocin would enhance emotion recognition from facial sections of the eye vs the mouth region and modulate regional activity in brain areas associated with face perception in both adults with AS, and a neurotypical control group. Intranasal administration of the neuropeptide oxytocin improved performance in a facial emotion recognition task in individuals with AS. This was linked to increased left amygdala reactivity in response to facial stimuli and increased activity in the neural network involved in social cognition. Our data suggest that the amygdala, together with functionally associated cortical areas mediate the positive effect of oxytocin on social cognitive functioning in AS.

Outcome of facial physiotherapy in patients with prolonged idiopathic facial palsy.

PubMed

Watson, G J; Glover, S; Allen, S; Irving, R M

2015-04-01

This study investigated whether patients who remain symptomatic more than a year following idiopathic facial paralysis gain benefit from tailored facial physiotherapy. A two-year retrospective review was conducted of all symptomatic patients. Data collected included: age, gender, duration of symptoms, Sunnybrook facial grading system scores pre-treatment and at last visit, and duration of treatment. The study comprised 22 patients (with a mean age of 50.5 years (range, 22-75 years)) who had been symptomatic for more than a year following idiopathic facial paralysis. The mean duration of symptoms was 45 months (range, 12-240 months). The mean duration of follow up was 10.4 months (range, 2-36 months). Prior to treatment, the mean Sunnybrook facial grading system score was 59 (standard deviation = 3.5); this had increased to 83 (standard deviation = 2.7) at the last visit, with an average improvement in score of 23 (standard deviation = 2.9). This increase was significant (p < 0.001). Tailored facial therapy can improve facial grading scores in patients who remain symptomatic for prolonged periods.

Eye tracking reveals a crucial role for facial motion in recognition of faces by infants.

PubMed

Xiao, Naiqi G; Quinn, Paul C; Liu, Shaoying; Ge, Liezhong; Pascalis, Olivier; Lee, Kang

2015-06-01

Current knowledge about face processing in infancy comes largely from studies using static face stimuli, but faces that infants see in the real world are mostly moving ones. To bridge this gap, 3-, 6-, and 9-month-old Asian infants (N = 118) were familiarized with either moving or static Asian female faces, and then their face recognition was tested with static face images. Eye-tracking methodology was used to record eye movements during the familiarization and test phases. The results showed a developmental change in eye movement patterns, but only for the moving faces. In addition, the more infants shifted their fixations across facial regions, the better their face recognition was, but only for the moving faces. The results suggest that facial movement influences the way faces are encoded from early in development. (c) 2015 APA, all rights reserved).

Facial Contrast Is a Cross-Cultural Cue for Perceiving Age

PubMed Central

Porcheron, Aurélie; Mauger, Emmanuelle; Soppelsa, Frédérique; Liu, Yuli; Ge, Liezhong; Pascalis, Olivier; Russell, Richard; Morizot, Frédérique

2017-01-01

Age is a fundamental social dimension and a youthful appearance is of importance for many individuals, perhaps because it is a relevant predictor of aspects of health, facial attractiveness and general well-being. We recently showed that facial contrast—the color and luminance difference between facial features and the surrounding skin—is age-related and a cue to age perception of Caucasian women. Specifically, aspects of facial contrast decrease with age in Caucasian women, and Caucasian female faces with higher contrast look younger (Porcheron et al., 2013). Here we investigated faces of other ethnic groups and raters of other cultures to see whether facial contrast is a cross-cultural youth-related attribute. Using large sets of full face color photographs of Chinese, Latin American and black South African women aged 20–80, we measured the luminance and color contrast between the facial features (the eyes, the lips, and the brows) and the surrounding skin. Most aspects of facial contrast that were previously found to decrease with age in Caucasian women were also found to decrease with age in the other ethnic groups. Though the overall pattern of changes with age was common to all women, there were also some differences between the groups. In a separate study, individual faces of the 4 ethnic groups were perceived younger by French and Chinese participants when the aspects of facial contrast that vary with age in the majority of faces were artificially increased, but older when they were artificially decreased. Altogether these findings indicate that facial contrast is a cross-cultural cue to youthfulness. Because cosmetics were shown to enhance facial contrast, this work provides some support for the notion that a universal function of cosmetics is to make female faces look younger. PMID:28790941

Facial Contrast Is a Cross-Cultural Cue for Perceiving Age.

PubMed

Porcheron, Aurélie; Mauger, Emmanuelle; Soppelsa, Frédérique; Liu, Yuli; Ge, Liezhong; Pascalis, Olivier; Russell, Richard; Morizot, Frédérique

2017-01-01

Age is a fundamental social dimension and a youthful appearance is of importance for many individuals, perhaps because it is a relevant predictor of aspects of health, facial attractiveness and general well-being. We recently showed that facial contrast-the color and luminance difference between facial features and the surrounding skin-is age-related and a cue to age perception of Caucasian women. Specifically, aspects of facial contrast decrease with age in Caucasian women, and Caucasian female faces with higher contrast look younger (Porcheron et al., 2013). Here we investigated faces of other ethnic groups and raters of other cultures to see whether facial contrast is a cross-cultural youth-related attribute. Using large sets of full face color photographs of Chinese, Latin American and black South African women aged 20-80, we measured the luminance and color contrast between the facial features (the eyes, the lips, and the brows) and the surrounding skin. Most aspects of facial contrast that were previously found to decrease with age in Caucasian women were also found to decrease with age in the other ethnic groups. Though the overall pattern of changes with age was common to all women, there were also some differences between the groups. In a separate study, individual faces of the 4 ethnic groups were perceived younger by French and Chinese participants when the aspects of facial contrast that vary with age in the majority of faces were artificially increased, but older when they were artificially decreased. Altogether these findings indicate that facial contrast is a cross-cultural cue to youthfulness. Because cosmetics were shown to enhance facial contrast, this work provides some support for the notion that a universal function of cosmetics is to make female faces look younger.

A novel three-dimensional smile analysis based on dynamic evaluation of facial curve contour

PubMed Central

Lin, Yi; Lin, Han; Lin, Qiuping; Zhang, Jinxin; Zhu, Ping; Lu, Yao; Zhao, Zhi; Lv, Jiahong; Lee, Mln Kyeong; Xu, Yue

2016-01-01

The influence of three-dimensional facial contour and dynamic evaluation decoding on factors of smile esthetics is essential for facial beauty improvement. However, the kinematic features of the facial smile contour and the contribution from the soft tissue and underlying skeleton are uncharted. Here, the cheekbone-maxilla contour and nasolabial fold were combined into a “smile contour” delineating the overall facial topography emerges prominently in smiling. We screened out the stable and unstable points on the smile contour using facial motion capture and curve fitting, before analyzing the correlation between soft tissue coordinates and hard tissue counterparts of the screened points. Our finding suggests that the mouth corner region was the most mobile area characterizing smile expression, while the other areas remained relatively stable. Therefore, the perioral area should be evaluated dynamically while the static assessment outcome of other parts of the smile contour contribute partially to their dynamic esthetics. Moreover, different from the end piece, morphologies of the zygomatic area and the superior part of the nasolabial crease were determined largely by the skeleton in rest, implying the latter can be altered by orthopedic or orthodontic correction and the former better improved by cosmetic procedures to improve the beauty of smile. PMID:26911450

A novel three-dimensional smile analysis based on dynamic evaluation of facial curve contour

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lin, Yi; Lin, Han; Lin, Qiuping; Zhang, Jinxin; Zhu, Ping; Lu, Yao; Zhao, Zhi; Lv, Jiahong; Lee, Mln Kyeong; Xu, Yue

2016-02-01

The influence of three-dimensional facial contour and dynamic evaluation decoding on factors of smile esthetics is essential for facial beauty improvement. However, the kinematic features of the facial smile contour and the contribution from the soft tissue and underlying skeleton are uncharted. Here, the cheekbone-maxilla contour and nasolabial fold were combined into a “smile contour” delineating the overall facial topography emerges prominently in smiling. We screened out the stable and unstable points on the smile contour using facial motion capture and curve fitting, before analyzing the correlation between soft tissue coordinates and hard tissue counterparts of the screened points. Our finding suggests that the mouth corner region was the most mobile area characterizing smile expression, while the other areas remained relatively stable. Therefore, the perioral area should be evaluated dynamically while the static assessment outcome of other parts of the smile contour contribute partially to their dynamic esthetics. Moreover, different from the end piece, morphologies of the zygomatic area and the superior part of the nasolabial crease were determined largely by the skeleton in rest, implying the latter can be altered by orthopedic or orthodontic correction and the former better improved by cosmetic procedures to improve the beauty of smile.

Multi-channel orbicularis oculi stimulation to restore eye-blink function in facial paralysis.

PubMed

Somia, N N; Zonnevijlle, E D; Stremel, R W; Maldonado, C; Gossman, M D; Barker, J H

2001-01-01

Facial paralysis due to facial nerve injury results in the loss of function of the muscles of the hemiface. The most serious complication in extreme cases is the loss of vision. In this study, we compared the effectiveness of single- and multiple-channel electrical stimulation to restore a complete and cosmetically acceptable eye blink. We established bilateral orbicularis oculi muscle (OOM) paralysis in eight dogs; the OOM of one side was directly stimulated using single-channel electrical stimulation and the opposite side was stimulated using multi-channel electrical stimulation. The changes in the palpebral fissure and complete palpebral closure were measured. The difference in current intensities between the multi-channel and single-channel simulation groups was significant, while only multi-channel stimulation produced complete eyelid closure. The latest electronic stimulation circuitry with high-quality implantable electrodes will make it possible to regulate precisely OOM contractions and thus generate complete and cosmetically acceptable eye-blink motion in patients with facial paralysis. Copyright 2001 Wiley-Liss, Inc.

Realistic facial expression of virtual human based on color, sweat, and tears effects.

PubMed

Alkawaz, Mohammed Hazim; Basori, Ahmad Hoirul; Mohamad, Dzulkifli; Mohamed, Farhan

2014-01-01

Generating extreme appearances such as scared awaiting sweating while happy fit for tears (cry) and blushing (anger and happiness) is the key issue in achieving the high quality facial animation. The effects of sweat, tears, and colors are integrated into a single animation model to create realistic facial expressions of 3D avatar. The physical properties of muscles, emotions, or the fluid properties with sweating and tears initiators are incorporated. The action units (AUs) of facial action coding system are merged with autonomous AUs to create expressions including sadness, anger with blushing, happiness with blushing, and fear. Fluid effects such as sweat and tears are simulated using the particle system and smoothed-particle hydrodynamics (SPH) methods which are combined with facial animation technique to produce complex facial expressions. The effects of oxygenation of the facial skin color appearance are measured using the pulse oximeter system and the 3D skin analyzer. The result shows that virtual human facial expression is enhanced by mimicking actual sweating and tears simulations for all extreme expressions. The proposed method has contribution towards the development of facial animation industry and game as well as computer graphics.

Realistic Facial Expression of Virtual Human Based on Color, Sweat, and Tears Effects

PubMed Central

Alkawaz, Mohammed Hazim; Basori, Ahmad Hoirul; Mohamad, Dzulkifli; Mohamed, Farhan

2014-01-01

Generating extreme appearances such as scared awaiting sweating while happy fit for tears (cry) and blushing (anger and happiness) is the key issue in achieving the high quality facial animation. The effects of sweat, tears, and colors are integrated into a single animation model to create realistic facial expressions of 3D avatar. The physical properties of muscles, emotions, or the fluid properties with sweating and tears initiators are incorporated. The action units (AUs) of facial action coding system are merged with autonomous AUs to create expressions including sadness, anger with blushing, happiness with blushing, and fear. Fluid effects such as sweat and tears are simulated using the particle system and smoothed-particle hydrodynamics (SPH) methods which are combined with facial animation technique to produce complex facial expressions. The effects of oxygenation of the facial skin color appearance are measured using the pulse oximeter system and the 3D skin analyzer. The result shows that virtual human facial expression is enhanced by mimicking actual sweating and tears simulations for all extreme expressions. The proposed method has contribution towards the development of facial animation industry and game as well as computer graphics. PMID:25136663

Distinctive Facial Cues Predict Leadership Rank and Selection.

PubMed

Re, Daniel E; Rule, Nicholas

2017-09-01

Facial appearance correlates with leadership, both in terms of who is chosen (leader selection) and how they do (leader success). Leadership theories suggest that exceptional individuals acquire positions as leaders. Exceptional traits can differ between domains, however, and so the qualities valued in leaders in one occupation may not match those valued among leaders in another. To test this, we compared the relationship between facial appearance and leadership across two domains: law firms and mafia families. Perceptions of power correlated with leadership among law executives whereas social skill correlated with leadership in organized crime. Critically, these traits were distinctive within their respective groups. Furthermore, an experimental test showed that the relative frequency of facial traits in a group can render them either an asset or liability. Perceived leadership ability is therefore enhanced by characteristics that appear unique among individuals who satisfy the basic criteria for their group.

Facial trauma.

PubMed

Peeters, N; Lemkens, P; Leach, R; Gemels B; Schepers, S; Lemmens, W

Facial trauma. Patients with facial trauma must be assessed in a systematic way so as to avoid missing any injury. Severe and disfiguring facial injuries can be distracting. However, clinicians must first focus on the basics of trauma care, following the Advanced Trauma Life Support (ATLS) system of care. Maxillofacial trauma occurs in a significant number of severely injured patients. Life- and sight-threatening injuries must be excluded during the primary and secondary surveys. Special attention must be paid to sight-threatening injuries in stabilized patients through early referral to an appropriate specialist or the early initiation of emergency care treatment. The gold standard for the radiographic evaluation of facial injuries is computed tomography (CT) imaging. Nasal fractures are the most frequent isolated facial fractures. Isolated nasal fractures are principally diagnosed through history and clinical examination. Closed reduction is the most frequently performed treatment for isolated nasal fractures, with a fractured nasal septum as a predictor of failure. Ear, nose and throat surgeons, maxillofacial surgeons and ophthalmologists must all develop an adequate treatment plan for patients with complex maxillofacial trauma.

The effect of facial makeup on the frequency of drivers stopping for hitchhikers.

PubMed

Guéguen, Nicolas; Lamy, Lubomir

2013-08-01

Judgments of photographs have shown that makeup enhances ratings of women's facial attractiveness. The present study assessed whether makeup affects the stopping behavior of drivers in response to a hitchhiker's signal. Four 20- to 22-year-old female confederates wore facial makeup, or not, while pretending to be hitchhiking. Frequency of stopping was compared in 1,600 male and female drivers. Facial makeup was associated with an increase in the number of male drivers who stopped to offer a ride. Makeup did not affect frequency of stopping by female drivers.

Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation (tDCS) Enhances the Excitability of Trigemino-Facial Reflex Circuits.

PubMed

Cabib, Christopher; Cipullo, Federica; Morales, Merche; Valls-Solé, Josep

2016-01-01

Transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) causes a tiny burning sensation through activation of local cutaneous trigeminal afferents. Trigeminal sensory inputs from tDCS may generate excitability changes in the trigemino-facial reflex circuits. Sixteen healthy volunteers were submitted to 20 minutes tDCS sessions with two types of electrode-montage conditions: 1. Real vs Sham 'bi-hemispheric' tDCS (cathode/anode: C4/C3), for blinded assessment of effects, and 2. 'uni-hemispheric' tDCS (cathode/anode: Fp3/C3), for assessment of laterality of the effects. Supraorbital nerve stimuli were used to obtain blink reflexes before, during (10 minutes from onset) and after (30 minutes from onset) the tDCS session. Outcome measures were R2 habituation (R2H) to repeated stimuli, the blink reflex excitability recovery (BRER) to paired stimuli and the blink reflex inhibition by a prepulse (BRIP). Real but not sham bi-hemispheric tDCS caused a significant decrease of R2H and leftward shift of BRER curve (p < 0.05 for all measures). The effects of uni-hemispheric tDCS on BRER and BRIP were larger on ipsilateral than on contralateral blink reflexes (p < 0.05). Excitability changes were still present 10 minutes after the end of stimulation in a lesser extent. This study shows that 20 minute tDCS enhances the excitability of trigemino-facial reflex circuits. The finding of larger ipsilateral than contralateral effects suggests that sensitization through cutaneous trigeminal afferents adds on other possible mechanisms such as activation of cortico-nuclear or cortico-reticular connections. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Hypoglossal-facial nerve reconstruction using a Y-tube-conduit reduces aberrant synkinetic movements of the orbicularis oculi and vibrissal muscles in rats.

PubMed

Kaya, Yasemin; Ozsoy, Umut; Turhan, Murat; Angelov, Doychin N; Sarikcioglu, Levent

2014-01-01

The facial nerve is the most frequently damaged nerve in head and neck trauma. Patients undergoing facial nerve reconstruction often complain about disturbing abnormal synkinetic movements of the facial muscles (mass movements, synkinesis) which are thought to result from misguided collateral branching of regenerating motor axons and reinnervation of inappropriate muscles. Here, we examined whether use of an aorta Y-tube conduit during reconstructive surgery after facial nerve injury reduces synkinesis of orbicularis oris (blink reflex) and vibrissal (whisking) musculature. The abdominal aorta plus its bifurcation was harvested (N = 12) for Y-tube conduits. Animal groups comprised intact animals (Group 1), those receiving hypoglossal-facial nerve end-to-end coaptation alone (HFA; Group 2), and those receiving hypoglossal-facial nerve reconstruction using a Y-tube (HFA-Y-tube, Group 3). Videotape motion analysis at 4 months showed that HFA-Y-tube group showed a reduced synkinesis of eyelid and whisker movements compared to HFA alone.

Hypoglossal-Facial Nerve Reconstruction Using a Y-Tube-Conduit Reduces Aberrant Synkinetic Movements of the Orbicularis Oculi and Vibrissal Muscles in Rats

PubMed Central

Kaya, Yasemin; Ozsoy, Umut; Turhan, Murat; Angelov, Doychin N.; Sarikcioglu, Levent

2014-01-01

The facial nerve is the most frequently damaged nerve in head and neck trauma. Patients undergoing facial nerve reconstruction often complain about disturbing abnormal synkinetic movements of the facial muscles (mass movements, synkinesis) which are thought to result from misguided collateral branching of regenerating motor axons and reinnervation of inappropriate muscles. Here, we examined whether use of an aorta Y-tube conduit during reconstructive surgery after facial nerve injury reduces synkinesis of orbicularis oris (blink reflex) and vibrissal (whisking) musculature. The abdominal aorta plus its bifurcation was harvested (N = 12) for Y-tube conduits. Animal groups comprised intact animals (Group 1), those receiving hypoglossal-facial nerve end-to-end coaptation alone (HFA; Group 2), and those receiving hypoglossal-facial nerve reconstruction using a Y-tube (HFA-Y-tube, Group 3). Videotape motion analysis at 4 months showed that HFA-Y-tube group showed a reduced synkinesis of eyelid and whisker movements compared to HFA alone. PMID:25574468

Ethnic and Gender Considerations in the Use of Facial Injectables: Asian Patients.

PubMed

Liew, Steven

2015-11-01

Asians have distinct facial characteristics due to underlying skeletal and morphological features that differ greatly with those of whites. This together with the higher sun protection factor and the differences in the quality of the skin and soft tissue create a profound effect on their aging process. Understanding of these differences and their effects in the aging process in Asians is crucial in determining effective utilization and placement of injectable products to ensure optimal aesthetic outcomes. For younger Asian women, the main treatment goal is to address the inherent structural deficits through reshaping and the provision of facial support. Facial injectables are used to provide anterior projection, to reduce facial width, and to lengthen facial height. In the older group, the aim is for rejuvenation and also to address the underlying structural issues that has compounded due to age-related volume loss. Asian women requesting cosmetic procedures do not want to be Westernized but rather seeking to enhance and optimize their Asian ethnic features.

Semi-automatic motion compensation of contrast-enhanced ultrasound images from abdominal organs for perfusion analysis.

PubMed

Schäfer, Sebastian; Nylund, Kim; Sævik, Fredrik; Engjom, Trond; Mézl, Martin; Jiřík, Radovan; Dimcevski, Georg; Gilja, Odd Helge; Tönnies, Klaus

2015-08-01

This paper presents a system for correcting motion influences in time-dependent 2D contrast-enhanced ultrasound (CEUS) images to assess tissue perfusion characteristics. The system consists of a semi-automatic frame selection method to find images with out-of-plane motion as well as a method for automatic motion compensation. Translational and non-rigid motion compensation is applied by introducing a temporal continuity assumption. A study consisting of 40 clinical datasets was conducted to compare the perfusion with simulated perfusion using pharmacokinetic modeling. Overall, the proposed approach decreased the mean average difference between the measured perfusion and the pharmacokinetic model estimation. It was non-inferior for three out of four patient cohorts to a manual approach and reduced the analysis time by 41% compared to manual processing. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Intact imitation of emotional facial actions in autism spectrum conditions.

PubMed

Press, Clare; Richardson, Daniel; Bird, Geoffrey

2010-09-01

It has been proposed that there is a core impairment in autism spectrum conditions (ASC) to the mirror neuron system (MNS): If observed actions cannot be mapped onto the motor commands required for performance, higher order sociocognitive functions that involve understanding another person's perspective, such as theory of mind, may be impaired. However, evidence of MNS impairment in ASC is mixed. The present study used an 'automatic imitation' paradigm to assess MNS functioning in adults with ASC and matched controls, when observing emotional facial actions. Participants performed a pre-specified angry or surprised facial action in response to observed angry or surprised facial actions, and the speed of their action was measured with motion tracking equipment. Both the ASC and control groups demonstrated automatic imitation of the facial actions, such that responding was faster when they acted with the same emotional expression that they had observed. There was no difference between the two groups in the magnitude of the effect. These findings suggest that previous apparent demonstrations of impairments to the MNS in ASC may be driven by a lack of visual attention to the stimuli or motor sequencing impairments, and therefore that there is, in fact, no MNS impairment in ASC. We discuss these findings with reference to the literature on MNS functioning and imitation in ASC, as well as theories of the role of the MNS in sociocognitive functioning in typical development. Copyright 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Association Among Facial Paralysis, Depression, and Quality of Life in Facial Plastic Surgery Patients

PubMed Central

Nellis, Jason C.; Ishii, Masaru; Byrne, Patrick J.; Boahene, Kofi D. O.; Dey, Jacob K.; Ishii, Lisa E.

2017-01-01

IMPORTANCE Though anecdotally linked, few studies have investigated the impact of facial paralysis on depression and quality of life (QOL). OBJECTIVE To measure the association between depression, QOL, and facial paralysis in patients seeking treatment at a facial plastic surgery clinic. DESIGN, SETTING, PARTICIPANTS Data were prospectively collected for patients with all-cause facial paralysis and control patients initially presenting to a facial plastic surgery clinic from 2013 to 2015. The control group included a heterogeneous patient population presenting to facial plastic surgery clinic for evaluation. Patients who had prior facial reanimation surgery or missing demographic and psychometric data were excluded from analysis. MAIN OUTCOMES AND MEASURES Demographics, facial paralysis etiology, facial paralysis severity (graded on the House-Brackmann scale), Beck depression inventory, and QOL scores in both groups were examined. Potential confounders, including self-reported attractiveness and mood, were collected and analyzed. Self-reported scores were measured using a 0 to 100 visual analog scale. RESULTS There was a total of 263 patients (mean age, 48.8 years; 66.9% were female) were analyzed. There were 175 control patients and 88 patients with facial paralysis. Sex distributions were not significantly different between the facial paralysis and control groups. Patients with facial paralysis had significantly higher depression, lower self-reported attractiveness, lower mood, and lower QOL scores. Overall, 37 patients with facial paralysis (42.1%) screened positive for depression, with the greatest likelihood in patients with House-Brackmann grade 3 or greater (odds ratio, 10.8; 95% CI, 5.13–22.75) compared with 13 control patients (8.1%) (P < .001). In multivariate regression, facial paralysis and female sex were significantly associated with higher depression scores (constant, 2.08 [95% CI, 0.77–3.39]; facial paralysis effect, 5.98 [95% CI, 4.38–7

Facial fractures in children.

PubMed

Boyette, Jennings R

2014-10-01

Facial trauma in children differs from adults. The growing facial skeleton presents several challenges to the reconstructive surgeon. A thorough understanding of the patterns of facial growth and development is needed to form an individualized treatment strategy. A proper diagnosis must be made and treatment options weighed against the risk of causing further harm to facial development. This article focuses on the management of facial fractures in children. Discussed are common fracture patterns based on the development of the facial structure, initial management, diagnostic strategies, new concepts and old controversies regarding radiologic examinations, conservative versus operative intervention, risks of growth impairment, and resorbable fixation. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Hemispheric differences in recognizing upper and lower facial displays of emotion.

PubMed

Prodan, C I; Orbelo, D M; Testa, J A; Ross, E D

2001-01-01

To determine if there are hemispheric differences in processing upper versus lower facial displays of emotion. Recent evidence suggests that there are two broad classes of emotions with differential hemispheric lateralization. Primary emotions (e.g. anger, fear) and associated displays are innate, are recognized across all cultures, and are thought to be modulated by the right hemisphere. Social emotions (e.g., guilt, jealousy) and associated "display rules" are learned during early child development, vary across cultures, and are thought to be modulated by the left hemisphere. Display rules are used by persons to alter, suppress or enhance primary emotional displays for social purposes. During deceitful behaviors, a subject's true emotional state is often leaked through upper rather than lower facial displays, giving rise to facial blends of emotion. We hypothesized that upper facial displays are processed preferentially by the right hemisphere, as part of the primary emotional system, while lower facial displays are processed preferentially by the left hemisphere, as part of the social emotional system. 30 strongly right-handed adult volunteers were tested tachistoscopically by randomly flashing facial displays of emotion to the right and left visual fields. The stimuli were line drawings of facial blends with different emotions displayed on the upper versus lower face. The subjects were tested under two conditions: 1) without instructions and 2) with instructions to attend to the upper face. Without instructions, the subjects robustly identified the emotion displayed on the lower face, regardless of visual field presentation. With instructions to attend to the upper face, for the left visual field they robustly identified the emotion displayed on the upper face. For the right visual field, they continued to identify the emotion displayed on the lower face, but to a lesser degree. Our results support the hypothesis that hemispheric differences exist in the

Chronic, burning facial pain following cosmetic facial surgery.

PubMed

Eisenberg, E; Yaari, A; Har-Shai, Y

1996-01-01

Chronic, burning facial pain as a result of cosmetic facial surgery has rarely been reported. During the year of 1994, two female patients presented themselves at our Pain Relief Clinic with chronic facial pain that developed following aesthetic facial surgery. One patient underwent bilateral transpalpebral surgery for removal of intraorbital fat for the correction of the exophthalmus, and the other had classical face and anterior hairline forehead lifts. Pain in both patients was similar in that it was bilateral, symmetric, burning in quality, and aggravated by external stimuli, mainly light touch. It was resistant to multiple analgesic medications, and was associated with significant depression and disability. Diagnostic local (lidocaine) and systemic (lidocaine and phentolamine) nerve blocks failed to provide relief. Psychological evaluation revealed that the two patients had clear psychosocial factors that seemed to have further compounded their pain complaints. Tricyclic antidepressants (and biofeedback training in one patient) were modestly effective and produced only partial pain relief.

Facial attractiveness.

PubMed

Little, Anthony C

2014-11-01

Facial attractiveness has important social consequences. Despite a widespread belief that beauty cannot be defined, in fact, there is considerable agreement across individuals and cultures on what is found attractive. By considering that attraction and mate choice are critical components of evolutionary selection, we can better understand the importance of beauty. There are many traits that are linked to facial attractiveness in humans and each may in some way impart benefits to individuals who act on their preferences. If a trait is reliably associated with some benefit to the perceiver, then we would expect individuals in a population to find that trait attractive. Such an approach has highlighted face traits such as age, health, symmetry, and averageness, which are proposed to be associated with benefits and so associated with facial attractiveness. This view may postulate that some traits will be universally attractive; however, this does not preclude variation. Indeed, it would be surprising if there existed a template of a perfect face that was not affected by experience, environment, context, or the specific needs of an individual. Research on facial attractiveness has documented how various face traits are associated with attractiveness and various factors that impact on an individual's judgments of facial attractiveness. Overall, facial attractiveness is complex, both in the number of traits that determine attraction and in the large number of factors that can alter attraction to particular faces. A fuller understanding of facial beauty will come with an understanding of how these various factors interact with each other. WIREs Cogn Sci 2014, 5:621-634. doi: 10.1002/wcs.1316 CONFLICT OF INTEREST: The author has declared no conflicts of interest for this article. For further resources related to this article, please visit the WIREs website. © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Assessing the Utility of a Virtual Environment for Enhancing Facial Affect Recognition in Adolescents with Autism

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bekele, Esubalew; Crittendon, Julie; Zheng, Zhi; Swanson, Amy; Weitlauf, Amy; Warren, Zachary; Sarkar, Nilanjan

2014-01-01

Teenagers with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and age-matched controls participated in a dynamic facial affect recognition task within a virtual reality (VR) environment. Participants identified the emotion of a facial expression displayed at varied levels of intensity by a computer generated avatar. The system assessed performance (i.e.,…

Facial anatomy.

PubMed

Marur, Tania; Tuna, Yakup; Demirci, Selman

2014-01-01

Dermatologic problems of the face affect both function and aesthetics, which are based on complex anatomical features. Treating dermatologic problems while preserving the aesthetics and functions of the face requires knowledge of normal anatomy. When performing successfully invasive procedures of the face, it is essential to understand its underlying topographic anatomy. This chapter presents the anatomy of the facial musculature and neurovascular structures in a systematic way with some clinically important aspects. We describe the attachments of the mimetic and masticatory muscles and emphasize their functions and nerve supply. We highlight clinically relevant facial topographic anatomy by explaining the course and location of the sensory and motor nerves of the face and facial vasculature with their relations. Additionally, this chapter reviews the recent nomenclature of the branching pattern of the facial artery. © 2013 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Children's Facial Trustworthiness Judgments: Agreement and Relationship with Facial Attractiveness.

PubMed

Ma, Fengling; Xu, Fen; Luo, Xianming

2016-01-01

This study examined developmental changes in children's abilities to make trustworthiness judgments based on faces and the relationship between a child's perception of trustworthiness and facial attractiveness. One hundred and one 8-, 10-, and 12-year-olds, along with 37 undergraduates, were asked to judge the trustworthiness of 200 faces. Next, they issued facial attractiveness judgments. The results indicated that children made consistent trustworthiness and attractiveness judgments based on facial appearance, but with-adult and within-age agreement levels of facial judgments increased with age. Additionally, the agreement levels of judgments made by girls were higher than those by boys. Furthermore, the relationship between trustworthiness and attractiveness judgments increased with age, and the relationship between two judgments made by girls was closer than those by boys. These findings suggest that face-based trait judgment ability develops throughout childhood and that, like adults, children may use facial attractiveness as a heuristic cue that signals a stranger's trustworthiness.

Children's Facial Trustworthiness Judgments: Agreement and Relationship with Facial Attractiveness

PubMed Central

Ma, Fengling; Xu, Fen; Luo, Xianming

2016-01-01

This study examined developmental changes in children's abilities to make trustworthiness judgments based on faces and the relationship between a child's perception of trustworthiness and facial attractiveness. One hundred and one 8-, 10-, and 12-year-olds, along with 37 undergraduates, were asked to judge the trustworthiness of 200 faces. Next, they issued facial attractiveness judgments. The results indicated that children made consistent trustworthiness and attractiveness judgments based on facial appearance, but with-adult and within-age agreement levels of facial judgments increased with age. Additionally, the agreement levels of judgments made by girls were higher than those by boys. Furthermore, the relationship between trustworthiness and attractiveness judgments increased with age, and the relationship between two judgments made by girls was closer than those by boys. These findings suggest that face-based trait judgment ability develops throughout childhood and that, like adults, children may use facial attractiveness as a heuristic cue that signals a stranger's trustworthiness. PMID:27148111

The expression of a motoneuron-specific serine protease, motopsin (PRSS12), after facial nerve axotomy in mice.

PubMed

Numajiri, Toshiaki; Mitsui, Shinichi; Hisa, Yasuo; Ishida, Toshihiro; Nishino, Kenichi; Yamaguchi, Nozomi

2006-01-01

Motopsin (PRSS12) is a mosaic serine protease that is preferentially expressed in motor neurons. To study the relationship between motopsin and motoneuron function, we investigated the expression of motopsin mRNA in facial nerve nuclei after facial nerve axotomy at the anterior margin of the parotid gland in mice. Neuronal function was monitored by assessing vibrissal motion in 3 months. Vibrissal behaviour on the injured side disappeared until the day 14 post-operation, and then recovered between the day 21 and 35. Motopsin expression decreased at the day 14, but markedly recovered by the day 21. In contrast, expression of growth-associated protein-43 (GAP-43) was induced at the day 3. These results suggest that the recovery of motopsin expression is correlated with the recovery of the facial motor neuronal function.

Hierarchical Spatio-Temporal Probabilistic Graphical Model with Multiple Feature Fusion for Binary Facial Attribute Classification in Real-World Face Videos.

PubMed

Demirkus, Meltem; Precup, Doina; Clark, James J; Arbel, Tal

2016-06-01

Recent literature shows that facial attributes, i.e., contextual facial information, can be beneficial for improving the performance of real-world applications, such as face verification, face recognition, and image search. Examples of face attributes include gender, skin color, facial hair, etc. How to robustly obtain these facial attributes (traits) is still an open problem, especially in the presence of the challenges of real-world environments: non-uniform illumination conditions, arbitrary occlusions, motion blur and background clutter. What makes this problem even more difficult is the enormous variability presented by the same subject, due to arbitrary face scales, head poses, and facial expressions. In this paper, we focus on the problem of facial trait classification in real-world face videos. We have developed a fully automatic hierarchical and probabilistic framework that models the collective set of frame class distributions and feature spatial information over a video sequence. The experiments are conducted on a large real-world face video database that we have collected, labelled and made publicly available. The proposed method is flexible enough to be applied to any facial classification problem. Experiments on a large, real-world video database McGillFaces [1] of 18,000 video frames reveal that the proposed framework outperforms alternative approaches, by up to 16.96 and 10.13%, for the facial attributes of gender and facial hair, respectively.

Brain responses to facial attractiveness induced by facial proportions: evidence from an fMRI study

PubMed Central

Shen, Hui; Chau, Desmond K. P.; Su, Jianpo; Zeng, Ling-Li; Jiang, Weixiong; He, Jufang; Fan, Jintu; Hu, Dewen

2016-01-01

Brain responses to facial attractiveness induced by facial proportions are investigated by using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI), in 41 young adults (22 males and 19 females). The subjects underwent fMRI while they were presented with computer-generated, yet realistic face images, which had varying facial proportions, but the same neutral facial expression, baldhead and skin tone, as stimuli. Statistical parametric mapping with parametric modulation was used to explore the brain regions with the response modulated by facial attractiveness ratings (ARs). The results showed significant linear effects of the ARs in the caudate nucleus and the orbitofrontal cortex for all of the subjects, and a non-linear response profile in the right amygdala for only the male subjects. Furthermore, canonical correlation analysis was used to learn the most relevant facial ratios that were best correlated with facial attractiveness. A regression model on the fMRI-derived facial ratio components demonstrated a strong linear relationship between the visually assessed mean ARs and the predictive ARs. Overall, this study provided, for the first time, direct neurophysiologic evidence of the effects of facial ratios on facial attractiveness and suggested that there are notable gender differences in perceiving facial attractiveness as induced by facial proportions. PMID:27779211

Brain responses to facial attractiveness induced by facial proportions: evidence from an fMRI study.

PubMed

Shen, Hui; Chau, Desmond K P; Su, Jianpo; Zeng, Ling-Li; Jiang, Weixiong; He, Jufang; Fan, Jintu; Hu, Dewen

2016-10-25

Brain responses to facial attractiveness induced by facial proportions are investigated by using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI), in 41 young adults (22 males and 19 females). The subjects underwent fMRI while they were presented with computer-generated, yet realistic face images, which had varying facial proportions, but the same neutral facial expression, baldhead and skin tone, as stimuli. Statistical parametric mapping with parametric modulation was used to explore the brain regions with the response modulated by facial attractiveness ratings (ARs). The results showed significant linear effects of the ARs in the caudate nucleus and the orbitofrontal cortex for all of the subjects, and a non-linear response profile in the right amygdala for only the male subjects. Furthermore, canonical correlation analysis was used to learn the most relevant facial ratios that were best correlated with facial attractiveness. A regression model on the fMRI-derived facial ratio components demonstrated a strong linear relationship between the visually assessed mean ARs and the predictive ARs. Overall, this study provided, for the first time, direct neurophysiologic evidence of the effects of facial ratios on facial attractiveness and suggested that there are notable gender differences in perceiving facial attractiveness as induced by facial proportions.

Motion-compensated compressed sensing for dynamic contrast-enhanced MRI using regional spatiotemporal sparsity and region tracking: Block LOw-rank Sparsity with Motion-guidance (BLOSM)

PubMed Central

Chen, Xiao; Salerno, Michael; Yang, Yang; Epstein, Frederick H.

2014-01-01

Purpose Dynamic contrast-enhanced MRI of the heart is well-suited for acceleration with compressed sensing (CS) due to its spatiotemporal sparsity; however, respiratory motion can degrade sparsity and lead to image artifacts. We sought to develop a motion-compensated CS method for this application. Methods A new method, Block LOw-rank Sparsity with Motion-guidance (BLOSM), was developed to accelerate first-pass cardiac MRI, even in the presence of respiratory motion. This method divides the images into regions, tracks the regions through time, and applies matrix low-rank sparsity to the tracked regions. BLOSM was evaluated using computer simulations and first-pass cardiac datasets from human subjects. Using rate-4 acceleration, BLOSM was compared to other CS methods such as k-t SLR that employs matrix low-rank sparsity applied to the whole image dataset, with and without motion tracking, and to k-t FOCUSS with motion estimation and compensation that employs spatial and temporal-frequency sparsity. Results BLOSM was qualitatively shown to reduce respiratory artifact compared to other methods. Quantitatively, using root mean squared error and the structural similarity index, BLOSM was superior to other methods. Conclusion BLOSM, which exploits regional low rank structure and uses region tracking for motion compensation, provides improved image quality for CS-accelerated first-pass cardiac MRI. PMID:24243528

[Peripheral facial nerve lesion induced long-term dendritic retraction in pyramidal cortico-facial neurons].

PubMed

Urrego, Diana; Múnera, Alejandro; Troncoso, Julieta

2011-01-01

Little evidence is available concerning the morphological modifications of motor cortex neurons associated with peripheral nerve injuries, and the consequences of those injuries on post lesion functional recovery. Dendritic branching of cortico-facial neurons was characterized with respect to the effects of irreversible facial nerve injury. Twenty-four adult male rats were distributed into four groups: sham (no lesion surgery), and dendritic assessment at 1, 3 and 5 weeks post surgery. Eighteen lesion animals underwent surgical transection of the mandibular and buccal branches of the facial nerve. Dendritic branching was examined by contralateral primary motor cortex slices stained with the Golgi-Cox technique. Layer V pyramidal (cortico-facial) neurons from sham and injured animals were reconstructed and their dendritic branching was compared using Sholl analysis. Animals with facial nerve lesions displayed persistent vibrissal paralysis throughout the five week observation period. Compared with control animal neurons, cortico-facial pyramidal neurons of surgically injured animals displayed shrinkage of their dendritic branches at statistically significant levels. This shrinkage persisted for at least five weeks after facial nerve injury. Irreversible facial motoneuron axonal damage induced persistent dendritic arborization shrinkage in contralateral cortico-facial neurons. This morphological reorganization may be the physiological basis of functional sequelae observed in peripheral facial palsy patients.

Regeneration of guinea PIG facial nerve: the effect of hypergravity

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rosenzweig, E.; Horodiceanu, E.; Ishay, J. S.

Exposure to moderate hypergravity improves the regenerative capacity of sectioned guinea-pig facial nerve. The improvement in regeneration is tri-directional as follows: a) an average 1.7 fold increase in rate of regeneration in guinea pigs subjected to hypergravity; b) a 25% enhancement of facial muscle activity following the exposure to hypergravity; and c) improvement in the quality of regeneration from an esthetic standpoint. A good correlation was recorded between the histological structure of the severed nerve at the end of the regeneration and the clinical results.

Repeated short presentations of morphed facial expressions change recognition and evaluation of facial expressions.

PubMed

Moriya, Jun; Tanno, Yoshihiko; Sugiura, Yoshinori

2013-11-01

This study investigated whether sensitivity to and evaluation of facial expressions varied with repeated exposure to non-prototypical facial expressions for a short presentation time. A morphed facial expression was presented for 500 ms repeatedly, and participants were required to indicate whether each facial expression was happy or angry. We manipulated the distribution of presentations of the morphed facial expressions for each facial stimulus. Some of the individuals depicted in the facial stimuli expressed anger frequently (i.e., anger-prone individuals), while the others expressed happiness frequently (i.e., happiness-prone individuals). After being exposed to the faces of anger-prone individuals, the participants became less sensitive to those individuals' angry faces. Further, after being exposed to the faces of happiness-prone individuals, the participants became less sensitive to those individuals' happy faces. We also found a relative increase in the social desirability of happiness-prone individuals after exposure to the facial stimuli.

Reduction of facial redness with resveratrol added to topical product containing green tea polyphenols and caffeine.

PubMed

Ferzli, Georgina; Patel, Mital; Phrsai, Natasha; Brody, Neil

2013-07-01

Many topical formulations include antioxidants to improve the antioxidant capability of the skin. This study evaluated the ability of a unique combination of antioxidants including resveratrol, green tea polyphenols, and caffeine to reduce facial redness. Subjects (n=16) presenting with facial redness applied the resveratrol-enriched product twice daily to the entire face. Reduction in redness was evaluated by trained staff members and dermatology house staff officers. Evaluators compared clinical photographs and spectrally enhanced images taken before treatment and at 2-week intervals for up to 12 weeks. 16 of 16 clinical images showed improvement and 13 of 16 spectrally enhanced images were improved. Reduction in facial redness continued to evolve over the duration of the study period but was generally detectable by 6 weeks of treatment. Adverse effects were not observed in any subject. The skin product combination of resveratrol, green tea polyphenols, and caffeine safely reduces facial redness in most patients by 6 weeks of continuous treatment and may provide further improvement with additional treatment.

Effects of a small talking facial image on autonomic activity: the moderating influence of dispositional BIS and BAS sensitivities and emotions.

PubMed

Ravaja, Niklas

2004-01-01

We examined the moderating influence of dispositional behavioral inhibition system and behavioral activation system (BAS) sensitivities, Negative Affect, and Positive Affect on the relationship between a small moving vs. static facial image and autonomic responses when viewing/listening to news messages read by a newscaster among 36 young adults. Autonomic parameters measured were respiratory sinus arrhythmia (RSA), low-frequency (LF) component of heart rate variability (HRV), electrodermal activity, and pulse transit time (PTT). The results showed that dispositional BAS sensitivity, particularly BAS Fun Seeking, and Negative Affect interacted with facial image motion in predicting autonomic nervous system activity. A moving facial image was related to lower RSA and LF component of HRV and shorter PTTs as compared to a static facial image among high BAS individuals. Even a small talking facial image may contribute to sustained attentional engagement among high BAS individuals, given that the BAS directs attention toward the positive cue and a moving social stimulus may act as a positive incentive for high BAS individuals.

Quantitative assessment of tumor angiogenesis using real-time motion-compensated contrast-enhanced ultrasound imaging

PubMed Central

Pysz, Marybeth A.; Guracar, Ismayil; Foygel, Kira; Tian, Lu; Willmann, Jürgen K.

2015-01-01

Purpose To develop and test a real-time motion compensation algorithm for contrast-enhanced ultrasound imaging of tumor angiogenesis on a clinical ultrasound system. Materials and methods The Administrative Institutional Panel on Laboratory Animal Care approved all experiments. A new motion correction algorithm measuring the sum of absolute differences in pixel displacements within a designated tracking box was implemented in a clinical ultrasound machine. In vivo angiogenesis measurements (expressed as percent contrast area) with and without motion compensated maximum intensity persistence (MIP) ultrasound imaging were analyzed in human colon cancer xenografts (n = 64) in mice. Differences in MIP ultrasound imaging signal with and without motion compensation were compared and correlated with displacements in x- and y-directions. The algorithm was tested in an additional twelve colon cancer xenograft-bearing mice with (n = 6) and without (n = 6) anti-vascular therapy (ASA-404). In vivo MIP percent contrast area measurements were quantitatively correlated with ex vivo microvessel density (MVD) analysis. Results MIP percent contrast area was significantly different (P < 0.001) with and without motion compensation. Differences in percent contrast area correlated significantly (P < 0.001) with x- and y-displacements. MIP percent contrast area measurements were more reproducible with motion compensation (ICC = 0.69) than without (ICC = 0.51) on two consecutive ultrasound scans. Following anti-vascular therapy, motion-compensated MIP percent contrast area significantly (P = 0.03) decreased by 39.4 ± 14.6 % compared to non-treated mice and correlated well with ex vivo MVD analysis (Rho = 0.70; P = 0.05). Conclusion Real-time motion-compensated MIP ultrasound imaging allows reliable and accurate quantification and monitoring of angiogenesis in tumors exposed to breathing-induced motion artifacts. PMID:22535383

Quantitative assessment of tumor angiogenesis using real-time motion-compensated contrast-enhanced ultrasound imaging.

PubMed

Pysz, Marybeth A; Guracar, Ismayil; Foygel, Kira; Tian, Lu; Willmann, Jürgen K

2012-09-01

To develop and test a real-time motion compensation algorithm for contrast-enhanced ultrasound imaging of tumor angiogenesis on a clinical ultrasound system. The Administrative Institutional Panel on Laboratory Animal Care approved all experiments. A new motion correction algorithm measuring the sum of absolute differences in pixel displacements within a designated tracking box was implemented in a clinical ultrasound machine. In vivo angiogenesis measurements (expressed as percent contrast area) with and without motion compensated maximum intensity persistence (MIP) ultrasound imaging were analyzed in human colon cancer xenografts (n = 64) in mice. Differences in MIP ultrasound imaging signal with and without motion compensation were compared and correlated with displacements in x- and y-directions. The algorithm was tested in an additional twelve colon cancer xenograft-bearing mice with (n = 6) and without (n = 6) anti-vascular therapy (ASA-404). In vivo MIP percent contrast area measurements were quantitatively correlated with ex vivo microvessel density (MVD) analysis. MIP percent contrast area was significantly different (P < 0.001) with and without motion compensation. Differences in percent contrast area correlated significantly (P < 0.001) with x- and y-displacements. MIP percent contrast area measurements were more reproducible with motion compensation (ICC = 0.69) than without (ICC = 0.51) on two consecutive ultrasound scans. Following anti-vascular therapy, motion-compensated MIP percent contrast area significantly (P = 0.03) decreased by 39.4 ± 14.6 % compared to non-treated mice and correlated well with ex vivo MVD analysis (Rho = 0.70; P = 0.05). Real-time motion-compensated MIP ultrasound imaging allows reliable and accurate quantification and monitoring of angiogenesis in tumors exposed to breathing-induced motion artifacts.

Caricaturing facial expressions.

PubMed

Calder, A J; Rowland, D; Young, A W; Nimmo-Smith, I; Keane, J; Perrett, D I

2000-08-14

The physical differences between facial expressions (e.g. fear) and a reference norm (e.g. a neutral expression) were altered to produce photographic-quality caricatures. In Experiment 1, participants rated caricatures of fear, happiness and sadness for their intensity of these three emotions; a second group of participants rated how 'face-like' the caricatures appeared. With increasing levels of exaggeration the caricatures were rated as more emotionally intense, but less 'face-like'. Experiment 2 demonstrated a similar relationship between emotional intensity and level of caricature for six different facial expressions. Experiments 3 and 4 compared intensity ratings of facial expression caricatures prepared relative to a selection of reference norms - a neutral expression, an average expression, or a different facial expression (e.g. anger caricatured relative to fear). Each norm produced a linear relationship between caricature and rated intensity of emotion; this finding is inconsistent with two-dimensional models of the perceptual representation of facial expression. An exemplar-based multidimensional model is proposed as an alternative account.

Gaze behavior predicts memory bias for angry facial expressions in stable dysphoria.

PubMed

Wells, Tony T; Beevers, Christopher G; Robison, Adrienne E; Ellis, Alissa J

2010-12-01

Interpersonal theories suggest that depressed individuals are sensitive to signs of interpersonal rejection, such as angry facial expressions. The present study examined memory bias for happy, sad, angry, and neutral facial expressions in stably dysphoric and stably nondysphoric young adults. Participants' gaze behavior (i.e., fixation duration, number of fixations, and distance between fixations) while viewing these facial expressions was also assessed. Using signal detection analyses, the dysphoric group had better accuracy on a surprise recognition task for angry faces than the nondysphoric group. Further, mediation analyses indicated that greater breadth of attentional focus (i.e., distance between fixations) accounted for enhanced recall of angry faces among the dysphoric group. There were no differences between dysphoria groups in gaze behavior or memory for sad, happy, or neutral facial expressions. Findings from this study identify a specific cognitive mechanism (i.e., breadth of attentional focus) that accounts for biased recall of angry facial expressions in dysphoria. This work also highlights the potential for integrating cognitive and interpersonal theories of depression.

Can walking motions improve visually induced rotational self-motion illusions in virtual reality?

PubMed

Riecke, Bernhard E; Freiberg, Jacob B; Grechkin, Timofey Y

2015-02-04

Illusions of self-motion (vection) can provide compelling sensations of moving through virtual environments without the need for complex motion simulators or large tracked physical walking spaces. Here we explore the interaction between biomechanical cues (stepping along a rotating circular treadmill) and visual cues (viewing simulated self-rotation) for providing stationary users a compelling sensation of rotational self-motion (circular vection). When tested individually, biomechanical and visual cues were similarly effective in eliciting self-motion illusions. However, in combination they yielded significantly more intense self-motion illusions. These findings provide the first compelling evidence that walking motions can be used to significantly enhance visually induced rotational self-motion perception in virtual environments (and vice versa) without having to provide for physical self-motion or motion platforms. This is noteworthy, as linear treadmills have been found to actually impair visually induced translational self-motion perception (Ash, Palmisano, Apthorp, & Allison, 2013). Given the predominant focus on linear walking interfaces for virtual-reality locomotion, our findings suggest that investigating circular and curvilinear walking interfaces offers a promising direction for future research and development and can help to enhance self-motion illusions, presence and immersion in virtual-reality systems. © 2015 ARVO.

Enhanced high-energy protocol using a fractional bipolar radiofrequency device combined with bipolar radiofrequency and infrared light for improving facial skin appearance and wrinkles.

PubMed

Gold, Michael H; Biesman, Brian S; Taylor, Mark

2017-06-01

Fractional bipolar radiofrequency treatment and treatment with bipolar radiofrequency combined with infrared light have been shown in previous trials to safely and effectively improve the appearance of facial wrinkles. To evaluate a high-energy protocol with combined bipolar radiofrequency and infrared light energies for improvement in photoaged facial skin. Seventy-two patients presenting with mild to moderate facial wrinkles underwent a single full-face treatment (n=54) or two treatments (n=18) at 6-week intervals. Independent blinded assessment and investigator assessment were performed, using the Fitzpatrick Wrinkle and Elastosis Scale (0-9) and the Global Aesthetic Improvement scale. Patients also completed a self-assessment questionnaire concerning satisfaction with the treatment. All patients achieved some degree of improvement in their wrinkles and skin appearance, following a single treatment or two treatments with the enhanced-energy protocol. Blinded evaluation demonstrated 71% and 70% of the patients showing improvement of one unit or greater on the Fitzpatrick Scale, at the 12-week and 24-week follow-ups post-treatment, respectively. Similar results were reported by investigators. Under the Global Aesthetic Improvement Scale, investigators observed 87%, 91% and 81% of patients showing improvement at the 6-, 12-, and 24-week post-treatment end, respectively. Patients tolerated the treatments well and were satisfied with the clinical results. The enhanced-energy treatment protocol, with fractional bipolar radiofrequency treatment and treatment with bipolar radiofrequency combined with infrared light applications, yields significant improvement of skin texture, wrinkling, and overall appearance following a single treatment. The results appear gradually over time and are maintained for at least 6 months' post-treatment. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Facial reanimation by muscle-nerve neurotization after facial nerve sacrifice. Case report.

PubMed

Taupin, A; Labbé, D; Babin, E; Fromager, G

2016-12-01

Recovering a certain degree of mimicry after sacrifice of the facial nerve is a clinically recognized finding. The authors report a case of hemifacial reanimation suggesting a phenomenon of neurotization from muscle-to-nerve. A woman benefited from a parotidectomy with sacrifice of the left facial nerve indicated for recurrent tumor in the gland. The distal branches of the facial nerve, isolated at the time of resection, were buried in the masseter muscle underneath. The patient recovered a voluntary hémifacial motricity. The electromyographic analysis of the motor activity of the zygomaticus major before and after block of the masseter nerve showed a dependence between mimic muscles and the masseter muscle. Several hypotheses have been advanced to explain the spontaneous reanimation of facial paralysis. The clinical case makes it possible to argue in favor of muscle-to-nerve neurotization from masseter muscle to distal branches of the facial nerve. It illustrates the quality of motricity that can be obtained thanks to this procedure. The authors describe a simple implantation technique of distal branches of the facial nerve in the masseter muscle during a radical parotidectomy with facial nerve sacrifice and recovery of resting tone but also a quality voluntary mimicry. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.

Domain Motion Enhanced (DoME) Model for Efficient Conformational Sampling of Multidomain Proteins.

PubMed

Kobayashi, Chigusa; Matsunaga, Yasuhiro; Koike, Ryotaro; Ota, Motonori; Sugita, Yuji

2015-11-19

Large conformational changes of multidomain proteins are difficult to simulate using all-atom molecular dynamics (MD) due to the slow time scale. We show that a simple modification of the structure-based coarse-grained (CG) model enables a stable and efficient MD simulation of those proteins. "Motion Tree", a tree diagram that describes conformational changes between two structures in a protein, provides information on rigid structural units (domains) and the magnitudes of domain motions. In our new CG model, which we call the DoME (domain motion enhanced) model, interdomain interactions are defined as being inversely proportional to the magnitude of the domain motions in the diagram, whereas intradomain interactions are kept constant. We applied the DoME model in combination with the Go model to simulations of adenylate kinase (AdK). The results of the DoME-Go simulation are consistent with an all-atom MD simulation for 10 μs as well as known experimental data. Unlike the conventional Go model, the DoME-Go model yields stable simulation trajectories against temperature changes and conformational transitions are easily sampled despite domain rigidity. Evidently, identification of domains and their interfaces is useful approach for CG modeling of multidomain proteins.

Automatic recognition of emotions from facial expressions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Xue, Henry; Gertner, Izidor

2014-06-01

In the human-computer interaction (HCI) process it is desirable to have an artificial intelligent (AI) system that can identify and categorize human emotions from facial expressions. Such systems can be used in security, in entertainment industries, and also to study visual perception, social interactions and disorders (e.g. schizophrenia and autism). In this work we survey and compare the performance of different feature extraction algorithms and classification schemes. We introduce a faster feature extraction method that resizes and applies a set of filters to the data images without sacrificing the accuracy. In addition, we have enhanced SVM to multiple dimensions while retaining the high accuracy rate of SVM. The algorithms were tested using the Japanese Female Facial Expression (JAFFE) Database and the Database of Faces (AT&T Faces).

Changing perception: facial reanimation surgery improves attractiveness and decreases negative facial perception.

PubMed

Dey, Jacob K; Ishii, Masaru; Boahene, Kofi D O; Byrne, Patrick J; Ishii, Lisa E

2014-01-01

Determine the effect of facial reanimation surgery on observer-graded attractiveness and negative facial perception of patients with facial paralysis. Randomized controlled experiment. Ninety observers viewed images of paralyzed faces, smiling and in repose, before and after reanimation surgery, as well as normal comparison faces. Observers rated the attractiveness of each face and characterized the paralyzed faces by rating severity, disfigured/bothersome, and importance to repair. Iterated factor analysis indicated these highly correlated variables measure a common domain, so they were combined to create the disfigured, important to repair, bothersome, severity (DIBS) factor score. Mixed effects linear regression determined the effect of facial reanimation surgery on attractiveness and DIBS score. Facial paralysis induces an attractiveness penalty of 2.51 on a 10-point scale for faces in repose and 3.38 for smiling faces. Mixed effects linear regression showed that reanimation surgery improved attractiveness for faces both in repose and smiling by 0.84 (95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.67, 1.01) and 1.24 (95% CI: 1.07, 1.42) respectively. Planned hypothesis tests confirmed statistically significant differences in attractiveness ratings between postoperative and normal faces, indicating attractiveness was not completely normalized. Regression analysis also showed that reanimation surgery decreased DIBS by 0.807 (95% CI: 0.704, 0.911) for faces in repose and 0.989 (95% CI: 0.886, 1.093), an entire standard deviation, for smiling faces. Facial reanimation surgery increases attractiveness and decreases negative facial perception of patients with facial paralysis. These data emphasize the need to optimize reanimation surgery to restore not only function, but also symmetry and cosmesis to improve facial perception and patient quality of life. © 2013 The American Laryngological, Rhinological and Otological Society, Inc.

Neural evidence for the subliminal processing of facial trustworthiness in infancy.

PubMed

Jessen, Sarah; Grossmann, Tobias

2017-04-22

Face evaluation is thought to play a vital role in human social interactions. One prominent aspect is the evaluation of facial signs of trustworthiness, which has been shown to occur reliably, rapidly, and without conscious awareness in adults. Recent developmental work indicates that the sensitivity to facial trustworthiness has early ontogenetic origins as it can already be observed in infancy. However, it is unclear whether infants' sensitivity to facial signs of trustworthiness relies upon conscious processing of a face or, similar to adults, occurs also in response to subliminal faces. To investigate this question, we conducted an event-related brain potential (ERP) study, in which we presented 7-month-old infants with faces varying in trustworthiness. Facial stimuli were presented subliminally (below infants' face visibility threshold) for only 50ms and then masked by presenting a scrambled face image. Our data revealed that infants' ERP responses to subliminally presented faces differed as a function of trustworthiness. Specifically, untrustworthy faces elicited an enhanced negative slow wave (800-1000ms) at frontal and central electrodes. The current findings critically extend prior work by showing that, similar to adults, infants' neural detection of facial signs of trustworthiness occurs also in response to subliminal face. This supports the view that detecting facial trustworthiness is an early developing and automatic process in humans. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Automated Facial Recognition of Computed Tomography-Derived Facial Images: Patient Privacy Implications.

PubMed

Parks, Connie L; Monson, Keith L

2017-04-01

The recognizability of facial images extracted from publically available medical scans raises patient privacy concerns. This study examined how accurately facial images extracted from computed tomography (CT) scans are objectively matched with corresponding photographs of the scanned individuals. The test subjects were 128 adult Americans ranging in age from 18 to 60 years, representing both sexes and three self-identified population (ancestral descent) groups (African, European, and Hispanic). Using facial recognition software, the 2D images of the extracted facial models were compared for matches against five differently sized photo galleries. Depending on the scanning protocol and gallery size, in 6-61 % of the cases, a correct life photo match for a CT-derived facial image was the top ranked image in the generated candidate lists, even when blind searching in excess of 100,000 images. In 31-91 % of the cases, a correct match was located within the top 50 images. Few significant differences (p > 0.05) in match rates were observed between the sexes or across the three age cohorts. Highly significant differences (p < 0.01) were, however, observed across the three ancestral cohorts and between the two CT scanning protocols. Results suggest that the probability of a match between a facial image extracted from a medical scan and a photograph of the individual is moderately high. The facial image data inherent in commonly employed medical imaging modalities may need to consider a potentially identifiable form of "comparable" facial imagery and protected as such under patient privacy legislation.

External facial features modify the representation of internal facial features in the fusiform face area.

PubMed

Axelrod, Vadim; Yovel, Galit

2010-08-15

Most studies of face identity have excluded external facial features by either removing them or covering them with a hat. However, external facial features may modify the representation of internal facial features. Here we assessed whether the representation of face identity in the fusiform face area (FFA), which has been primarily studied for internal facial features, is modified by differences in external facial features. We presented faces in which external and internal facial features were manipulated independently. Our findings show that the FFA was sensitive to differences in external facial features, but this effect was significantly larger when the external and internal features were aligned than misaligned. We conclude that the FFA generates a holistic representation in which the internal and the external facial features are integrated. These results indicate that to better understand real-life face recognition both external and internal features should be included. Copyright (c) 2010 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Does Facial Amimia Impact the Recognition of Facial Emotions? An EMG Study in Parkinson’s Disease

PubMed Central

Argaud, Soizic; Delplanque, Sylvain; Houvenaghel, Jean-François; Auffret, Manon; Duprez, Joan; Vérin, Marc; Grandjean, Didier; Sauleau, Paul

2016-01-01

According to embodied simulation theory, understanding other people’s emotions is fostered by facial mimicry. However, studies assessing the effect of facial mimicry on the recognition of emotion are still controversial. In Parkinson’s disease (PD), one of the most distinctive clinical features is facial amimia, a reduction in facial expressiveness, but patients also show emotional disturbances. The present study used the pathological model of PD to examine the role of facial mimicry on emotion recognition by investigating EMG responses in PD patients during a facial emotion recognition task (anger, joy, neutral). Our results evidenced a significant decrease in facial mimicry for joy in PD, essentially linked to the absence of reaction of the zygomaticus major and the orbicularis oculi muscles in response to happy avatars, whereas facial mimicry for expressions of anger was relatively preserved. We also confirmed that PD patients were less accurate in recognizing positive and neutral facial expressions and highlighted a beneficial effect of facial mimicry on the recognition of emotion. We thus provide additional arguments for embodied simulation theory suggesting that facial mimicry is a potential lever for therapeutic actions in PD even if it seems not to be necessarily required in recognizing emotion as such. PMID:27467393

A System for Delivering Mechanical Stimulation and Robot-Assisted Therapy to the Rat Whisker Pad during Facial Nerve Regeneration

PubMed Central

Heaton, James T.; Knox, Christopher; Malo, Juan; Kobler, James B.; Hadlock, Tessa A.

2013-01-01

Functional recovery is typically poor after facial nerve transection and surgical repair. In rats, whisking amplitude remains greatly diminished after facial nerve regeneration, but can recover more completely if the whiskers are periodically mechanically stimulated during recovery. Here we present a robotic “whisk assist” system for mechanically driving whisker movement after facial nerve injury. Movement patterns were either pre-programmed to reflect natural amplitudes and frequencies, or movements of the contralateral (healthy) side of the face were detected and used to control real-time mirror-like motion on the denervated side. In a pilot study, twenty rats were divided into nine groups and administered one of eight different whisk assist driving patterns (or control) for 5–20 minutes, five days per week, across eight weeks of recovery after unilateral facial nerve cut and suture repair. All rats tolerated the mechanical stimulation well. Seven of the eight treatment groups recovered average whisking amplitudes that exceeded controls, although small group sizes precluded statistical confirmation of group differences. The potential to substantially improve facial nerve recovery through mechanical stimulation has important clinical implications, and we have developed a system to control the pattern and dose of stimulation in the rat facial nerve model. PMID:23475376

Incongruence Between Observers’ and Observed Facial Muscle Activation Reduces Recognition of Emotional Facial Expressions From Video Stimuli

PubMed Central

Wingenbach, Tanja S. H.; Brosnan, Mark; Pfaltz, Monique C.; Plichta, Michael M.; Ashwin, Chris

2018-01-01

According to embodied cognition accounts, viewing others’ facial emotion can elicit the respective emotion representation in observers which entails simulations of sensory, motor, and contextual experiences. In line with that, published research found viewing others’ facial emotion to elicit automatic matched facial muscle activation, which was further found to facilitate emotion recognition. Perhaps making congruent facial muscle activity explicit produces an even greater recognition advantage. If there is conflicting sensory information, i.e., incongruent facial muscle activity, this might impede recognition. The effects of actively manipulating facial muscle activity on facial emotion recognition from videos were investigated across three experimental conditions: (a) explicit imitation of viewed facial emotional expressions (stimulus-congruent condition), (b) pen-holding with the lips (stimulus-incongruent condition), and (c) passive viewing (control condition). It was hypothesised that (1) experimental condition (a) and (b) result in greater facial muscle activity than (c), (2) experimental condition (a) increases emotion recognition accuracy from others’ faces compared to (c), (3) experimental condition (b) lowers recognition accuracy for expressions with a salient facial feature in the lower, but not the upper face area, compared to (c). Participants (42 males, 42 females) underwent a facial emotion recognition experiment (ADFES-BIV) while electromyography (EMG) was recorded from five facial muscle sites. The experimental conditions’ order was counter-balanced. Pen-holding caused stimulus-incongruent facial muscle activity for expressions with facial feature saliency in the lower face region, which reduced recognition of lower face region emotions. Explicit imitation caused stimulus-congruent facial muscle activity without modulating recognition. Methodological implications are discussed. PMID:29928240

Incongruence Between Observers' and Observed Facial Muscle Activation Reduces Recognition of Emotional Facial Expressions From Video Stimuli.

PubMed

Wingenbach, Tanja S H; Brosnan, Mark; Pfaltz, Monique C; Plichta, Michael M; Ashwin, Chris

2018-01-01

According to embodied cognition accounts, viewing others' facial emotion can elicit the respective emotion representation in observers which entails simulations of sensory, motor, and contextual experiences. In line with that, published research found viewing others' facial emotion to elicit automatic matched facial muscle activation, which was further found to facilitate emotion recognition. Perhaps making congruent facial muscle activity explicit produces an even greater recognition advantage. If there is conflicting sensory information, i.e., incongruent facial muscle activity, this might impede recognition. The effects of actively manipulating facial muscle activity on facial emotion recognition from videos were investigated across three experimental conditions: (a) explicit imitation of viewed facial emotional expressions (stimulus-congruent condition), (b) pen-holding with the lips (stimulus-incongruent condition), and (c) passive viewing (control condition). It was hypothesised that (1) experimental condition (a) and (b) result in greater facial muscle activity than (c), (2) experimental condition (a) increases emotion recognition accuracy from others' faces compared to (c), (3) experimental condition (b) lowers recognition accuracy for expressions with a salient facial feature in the lower, but not the upper face area, compared to (c). Participants (42 males, 42 females) underwent a facial emotion recognition experiment (ADFES-BIV) while electromyography (EMG) was recorded from five facial muscle sites. The experimental conditions' order was counter-balanced. Pen-holding caused stimulus-incongruent facial muscle activity for expressions with facial feature saliency in the lower face region, which reduced recognition of lower face region emotions. Explicit imitation caused stimulus-congruent facial muscle activity without modulating recognition. Methodological implications are discussed.

[The application of facial liposuction and fat grafting in the remodeling of facial contour].

PubMed

Wen, Huicai; Ma, Li; Sui, Ynnpeng; Jian, Xueping

2015-03-01

To investigate the application of facial liposuction and fat grafting in the remodeling of facial contour. From Nov. 2008 to Mar. 2014, 49 cases received facial liposuction and fat grafting to improve facial contours. Subcutaneous facial liposuction with tumescent technique and chin fat grafting were performed in all the cases, buccal fat pad excision of fat in 7 cases, the masseter injection of botulinum toxin type A in 9 cases, temporal fat grafting in 25 cases, forehead fat grafting in 15 cases. Marked improvement was achieved in all the patients with stable results during the follow-up period of 6 - 24 months. Complications, such as asymmetric, unsmooth and sagging were retreated with acceptance results. Combination application of liposuction and fat grafting can effectively and easily improve the facial contour with low risk.

Facial Orientation and Facial Shape in Extant Great Apes: A Geometric Morphometric Analysis of Covariation

PubMed Central

Neaux, Dimitri; Guy, Franck; Gilissen, Emmanuel; Coudyzer, Walter; Vignaud, Patrick; Ducrocq, Stéphane

2013-01-01

The organization of the bony face is complex, its morphology being influenced in part by the rest of the cranium. Characterizing the facial morphological variation and craniofacial covariation patterns in extant hominids is fundamental to the understanding of their evolutionary history. Numerous studies on hominid facial shape have proposed hypotheses concerning the relationship between the anterior facial shape, facial block orientation and basicranial flexion. In this study we test these hypotheses in a sample of adult specimens belonging to three extant hominid genera (Homo, Pan and Gorilla). Intraspecific variation and covariation patterns are analyzed using geometric morphometric methods and multivariate statistics, such as partial least squared on three-dimensional landmarks coordinates. Our results indicate significant intraspecific covariation between facial shape, facial block orientation and basicranial flexion. Hominids share similar characteristics in the relationship between anterior facial shape and facial block orientation. Modern humans exhibit a specific pattern in the covariation between anterior facial shape and basicranial flexion. This peculiar feature underscores the role of modern humans' highly-flexed basicranium in the overall integration of the cranium. Furthermore, our results are consistent with the hypothesis of a relationship between the reduction of the value of the cranial base angle and a downward rotation of the facial block in modern humans, and to a lesser extent in chimpanzees. PMID:23441232

Facial diplegia: a clinical dilemma.

PubMed

Chakrabarti, Debaprasad; Roy, Mukut; Bhattacharyya, Amrit K

2013-06-01

Bilateral facial paralysis is a rare clinical entity and presents as a diagnostic challenge. Unlike its unilateral counterpart facial diplegia is seldom secondary to Bell's palsy. Occurring at a frequency of 0.3% to 2% of all facial palsies it often indicates ominous medical conditions. Guillian-Barre syndrome needs to be considered as a differential in all given cases of facial diplegia where timely treatment would be rewarding. Here a case of bilateral facial palsy due to Guillian-Barre syndrome with atypical presentation is reported.

Visual attention during the evaluation of facial attractiveness is influenced by facial angles and smile.

PubMed

Kim, Seol Hee; Hwang, Soonshin; Hong, Yeon-Ju; Kim, Jae-Jin; Kim, Kyung-Ho; Chung, Chooryung J

2018-05-01

To examine the changes in visual attention influenced by facial angles and smile during the evaluation of facial attractiveness. Thirty-three young adults were asked to rate the overall facial attractiveness (task 1 and 3) or to select the most attractive face (task 2) by looking at multiple panel stimuli consisting of 0°, 15°, 30°, 45°, 60°, and 90° rotated facial photos with or without a smile for three model face photos and a self-photo (self-face). Eye gaze and fixation time (FT) were monitored by the eye-tracking device during the performance. Participants were asked to fill out a subjective questionnaire asking, "Which face was primarily looked at when evaluating facial attractiveness?" When rating the overall facial attractiveness (task 1) for model faces, FT was highest for the 0° face and lowest for the 90° face regardless of the smile ( P < .01). However, when the most attractive face was to be selected (task 2), the FT of the 0° face decreased, while it significantly increased for the 45° face ( P < .001). When facial attractiveness was evaluated with the simplified panels combined with facial angles and smile (task 3), the FT of the 0° smiling face was the highest ( P < .01). While most participants reported that they looked mainly at the 0° smiling face when rating facial attractiveness, visual attention was broadly distributed within facial angles. Laterally rotated faces and presence of a smile highly influence visual attention during the evaluation of facial esthetics.

Hypoglossal-facial nerve "side"-to-side neurorrhaphy for facial paralysis resulting from closed temporal bone fractures.

PubMed

Su, Diya; Li, Dezhi; Wang, Shiwei; Qiao, Hui; Li, Ping; Wang, Binbin; Wan, Hong; Schumacher, Michael; Liu, Song

2018-06-06

Closed temporal bone fractures due to cranial trauma often result in facial nerve injury, frequently inducing incomplete facial paralysis. Conventional hypoglossal-facial nerve end-to-end neurorrhaphy may not be suitable for these injuries because sacrifice of the lesioned facial nerve for neurorrhaphy destroys the remnant axons and/or potential spontaneous innervation. we modified the classical method by hypoglossal-facial nerve "side"-to-side neurorrhaphy using an interpositional predegenerated nerve graft to treat these injuries. Five patients who experienced facial paralysis resulting from closed temporal bone fractures due to cranial trauma were treated with the "side"-to-side neurorrhaphy. An additional 4 patients did not receive the neurorrhaphy and served as controls. Before treatment, all patients had suffered House-Brackmann (H-B) grade V or VI facial paralysis for a mean of 5 months. During the 12-30 months of follow-up period, no further detectable deficits were observed, but an improvement in facial nerve function was evidenced over time in the 5 neurorrhaphy-treated patients. At the end of follow-up, the improved facial function reached H-B grade II in 3, grade III in 1 and grade IV in 1 of the 5 patients, consistent with the electrophysiological examinations. In the control group, two patients showed slightly spontaneous innervation with facial function improved from H-B grade VI to V, and the other patients remained unchanged at H-B grade V or VI. We concluded that the hypoglossal-facial nerve "side"-to-side neurorrhaphy can preserve the injured facial nerve and is suitable for treating significant incomplete facial paralysis resulting from closed temporal bone fractures, providing an evident beneficial effect. Moreover, this treatment may be performed earlier after the onset of facial paralysis in order to reduce the unfavorable changes to the injured facial nerve and atrophy of its target muscles due to long-term denervation and allow axonal

Spontaneous Facial Mimicry Is Enhanced by the Goal of Inferring Emotional States: Evidence for Moderation of "Automatic" Mimicry by Higher Cognitive Processes.

PubMed

Murata, Aiko; Saito, Hisamichi; Schug, Joanna; Ogawa, Kenji; Kameda, Tatsuya

2016-01-01

A number of studies have shown that individuals often spontaneously mimic the facial expressions of others, a tendency known as facial mimicry. This tendency has generally been considered a reflex-like "automatic" response, but several recent studies have shown that the degree of mimicry may be moderated by contextual information. However, the cognitive and motivational factors underlying the contextual moderation of facial mimicry require further empirical investigation. In this study, we present evidence that the degree to which participants spontaneously mimic a target's facial expressions depends on whether participants are motivated to infer the target's emotional state. In the first study we show that facial mimicry, assessed by facial electromyography, occurs more frequently when participants are specifically instructed to infer a target's emotional state than when given no instruction. In the second study, we replicate this effect using the Facial Action Coding System to show that participants are more likely to mimic facial expressions of emotion when they are asked to infer the target's emotional state, rather than make inferences about a physical trait unrelated to emotion. These results provide convergent evidence that the explicit goal of understanding a target's emotional state affects the degree of facial mimicry shown by the perceiver, suggesting moderation of reflex-like motor activities by higher cognitive processes.

Utilizing Current Commercial-off-the-Shelf Facial Recognition and Public Live Video Streaming to Enhance National Security

DTIC Science & Technology

2014-09-01

biometrics technologies. 14. SUBJECT TERMS Facial recognition, systems engineering, live video streaming, security cameras, national security ...national security by sharing biometric facial recognition data in real-time utilizing infrastructures currently in place. It should be noted that the...9/11),law enforcement (LE) and Intelligence community (IC)authorities responsible for protecting citizens from threats against national security

Cloud Motion Vectors from MISR using Sub-pixel Enhancements

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Davies, Roger; Horvath, Akos; Moroney, Catherine; Zhang, Banglin; Zhu, Yanqiu

2007-01-01

The operational retrieval of height-resolved cloud motion vectors by the Multiangle Imaging SpectroRadiometer on the Terra satellite has been significantly improved by using sub-pixel approaches to co-registration and disparity assessment, and by imposing stronger quality control based on the agreement between independent forward and aft triplet retrievals. Analysis of the fore-aft differences indicates that CMVs pass the basic operational quality control 67% of the time, with rms differences - in speed of 2.4 m/s, in direction of 17 deg, and in height assignment of 290 m. The use of enhanced quality control thresholds reduces these rms values to 1.5 m/s, 17 deg and 165 m, respectively, at the cost of reduced coverage to 45%. Use of the enhanced thresholds also eliminates a tendency for the rms differences to increase with height. Comparison of CMVs from an earlier operational version that had slightly weaker quality control, with 6-hour forecast winds from the Global Modeling and Assimilation Office yielded very low bias values and an rms vector difference that ranged from 5 m/s for low clouds to 10 m/s for high clouds.

Combined approach for facial contour restoration: treatment of malar and cheek areas during rhytidectomy.

PubMed

Tapia, Antonio; Ruiz-de-Erenchun, Richard; Rengifo, Miguel

2006-08-01

One of the main objectives in facial lifting is to achieve an adequate facial contour, to enhance facial characteristics. Sometimes, facial areas are more or less accentuated, resulting in an unbalanced or inharmonious facial contour; this can be resolved in the context of a face lift. In the middle third of the face, two anatomical regions define the facial silhouette: the malar contour, with its bone support and superficial structures and, at the cheek level, intimately associated with the mastication system and the facial nerve, the buccal fat pad or Bichat fat pad. The authors describe their experience since 1998 using the double approach to malar atrophy and buccal fat pad hypertrophy in 194 patients with facial aging signs undergoing a face lift. All patients were offered a face lift with partial resection of the fat pad through facial incisions and a stronger malar projection using an inverse superficial musculoaponeurotic system flap. The main complications observed regarding this surgical technique, in order of appearance, were light asymmetry, caused by a persistent hematoma or swelling; paresthesia of the buccal and zygomatic branches, which resolved spontaneously; and a light sinking of the cheek caused by excessive resection. One patient underwent correction with a fat injection. The superior superficial musculoaponeurotic system flap and buccal fat pad resection provided excellent aesthetic results for a more harmonic and proportioned facial contour during rhytidectomy. Particularly in patients with round faces, the authors were able to obtain permanent malar symmetry and projection in addition to diminishing the cheek fullness.

Accurate landmarking of three-dimensional facial data in the presence of facial expressions and occlusions using a three-dimensional statistical facial feature model.

PubMed

Zhao, Xi; Dellandréa, Emmanuel; Chen, Liming; Kakadiaris, Ioannis A

2011-10-01

Three-dimensional face landmarking aims at automatically localizing facial landmarks and has a wide range of applications (e.g., face recognition, face tracking, and facial expression analysis). Existing methods assume neutral facial expressions and unoccluded faces. In this paper, we propose a general learning-based framework for reliable landmark localization on 3-D facial data under challenging conditions (i.e., facial expressions and occlusions). Our approach relies on a statistical model, called 3-D statistical facial feature model, which learns both the global variations in configurational relationships between landmarks and the local variations of texture and geometry around each landmark. Based on this model, we further propose an occlusion classifier and a fitting algorithm. Results from experiments on three publicly available 3-D face databases (FRGC, BU-3-DFE, and Bosphorus) demonstrate the effectiveness of our approach, in terms of landmarking accuracy and robustness, in the presence of expressions and occlusions.

Attention to Facial Emotion Expressions in Children with Autism

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Begeer, Sander; Rieffe, Carolien; Terwogt, Mark Meerum; Stockmann, Lex

2006-01-01

High-functioning children in the autism spectrum are frequently noted for their impaired attention to facial expressions of emotions. In this study, we examined whether attention to emotion cues in others could be enhanced in children with autism, by varying the relevance of children's attention to emotion expressions. Twenty-eight…

Medical makeup for concealing facial scars.

PubMed

Mee, Donna; Wong, Brian J F

2012-10-01

Surgical, laser, and pharmacological therapies are all used to correct scars and surgical incisions, though have limits with respect to how well facial skin can be restored or enhanced. The use of cosmetics has long been a relevant adjunct to all scar treatment modalities. In recent years, technical advancements in the chemistry and composition of cosmetic products have provided the patient with a broader range of products to employ for concealing scars. This review will provide an overview of contemporary methods for concealing facial scars, birthmarks, and pigmentary changes without the use of traditional/dated, heavy appearing camouflage products. Additionally, general guidelines and information will be provided with respect to identifying competent makeup artists for care of the medical patient. The article by no means is meant to be a tutorial, but rather serves as a starting point in this allied field of medicine. Thieme Medical Publishers 333 Seventh Avenue, New York, NY 10001, USA.

Large Intratemporal Facial Nerve Schwannoma without Facial Palsy: Surgical Strategy of Tumor Removal and Functional Reconstruction.

PubMed

Yetiser, Sertac

2018-06-08

 Three patients with large intratemporal facial schwannomas underwent tumor removal and facial nerve reconstruction with hypoglossal anastomosis. The surgical strategy for the cases was tailored to the location of the mass and its extension along the facial nerve.  To provide data on the different clinical aspects of facial nerve schwannoma, the appropriate planning for management, and the predictive outcomes of facial function.  Three patients with facial schwannomas (two men and one woman, ages 45, 36, and 52 years, respectively) who presented to the clinic between 2009 and 2015 were reviewed. They all had hearing loss but normal facial function. All patients were operated on with radical tumor removal via mastoidectomy and subtotal petrosectomy and simultaneous cranial nerve (CN) 7- CN 12 anastomosis.  Multiple segments of the facial nerve were involved ranging in size from 3 to 7 cm. In the follow-up period of 9 to 24 months, there was no tumor recurrence. Facial function was scored House-Brackmann grades II and III, but two patients are still in the process of functional recovery.  Conservative treatment with sparing of the nerve is considered in patients with small tumors. Excision of a large facial schwannoma with immediate hypoglossal nerve grafting as a primary procedure can provide satisfactory facial nerve function. One of the disadvantages of performing anastomosis is that there is not enough neural tissue just before the bifurcation of the main stump to provide neural suturing without tension because middle fossa extension of the facial schwannoma frequently involves the main facial nerve at the stylomastoid foramen. Reanimation should be processed with extensive backward mobilization of the hypoglossal nerve. Georg Thieme Verlag KG Stuttgart · New York.

Computer Recognition of Facial Profiles

DTIC Science & Technology

1974-08-01

facial recognition 20. ABSTRACT (Continue on reverse side It necessary and Identify by block number) A system for the recognition of human faces from...21 2.6 Classification Algorithms ........... ... 32 III FACIAL RECOGNITION AND AUTOMATIC TRAINING . . . 37 3.1 Facial Profile Recognition...provide a fair test of the classification system. The work of Goldstein, Harmon, and Lesk [81 indicates, however, that for facial recognition , a ten class

Impaired Overt Facial Mimicry in Response to Dynamic Facial Expressions in High-Functioning Autism Spectrum Disorders

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Yoshimura, Sayaka; Sato, Wataru; Uono, Shota; Toichi, Motomi

2015-01-01

Previous electromyographic studies have reported that individuals with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) exhibited atypical patterns of facial muscle activity in response to facial expression stimuli. However, whether such activity is expressed in visible facial mimicry remains unknown. To investigate this issue, we videotaped facial responses in…

Outcome of a graduated minimally invasive facial reanimation in patients with facial paralysis.

PubMed

Holtmann, Laura C; Eckstein, Anja; Stähr, Kerstin; Xing, Minzhi; Lang, Stephan; Mattheis, Stefan

2017-08-01

Peripheral paralysis of the facial nerve is the most frequent of all cranial nerve disorders. Despite advances in facial surgery, the functional and aesthetic reconstruction of a paralyzed face remains a challenge. Graduated minimally invasive facial reanimation is based on a modular principle. According to the patients' needs, precondition, and expectations, the following modules can be performed: temporalis muscle transposition and facelift, nasal valve suspension, endoscopic brow lift, and eyelid reconstruction. Applying a concept of a graduated minimally invasive facial reanimation may help minimize surgical trauma and reduce morbidity. Twenty patients underwent a graduated minimally invasive facial reanimation. A retrospective chart review was performed with a follow-up examination between 1 and 8 months after surgery. The FACEgram software was used to calculate pre- and postoperative eyelid closure, the level of brows, nasal, and philtral symmetry as well as oral commissure position at rest and oral commissure excursion with smile. As a patient-oriented outcome parameter, the Glasgow Benefit Inventory questionnaire was applied. There was a statistically significant improvement in the postoperative score of eyelid closure, brow asymmetry, nasal asymmetry, philtral asymmetry as well as oral commissure symmetry at rest (p < 0.05). Smile evaluation revealed no significant change of oral commissure excursion. The mean Glasgow Benefit Inventory score indicated substantial improvement in patients' overall quality of life. If a primary facial nerve repair or microneurovascular tissue transfer cannot be applied, graduated minimally invasive facial reanimation is a promising option to restore facial function and symmetry at rest.

Complex facial deformity reconstruction with a surgical guide incorporating a built-in occlusal stent as the positioning reference.

PubMed

Fang, Jing-Jing; Liu, Jia-Kuang; Wu, Tzu-Chieh; Lee, Jing-Wei; Kuo, Tai-Hong

2013-05-01

Computer-aided design has gained increasing popularity in clinical practice, and the advent of rapid prototyping technology has further enhanced the quality and predictability of surgical outcomes. It provides target guides for complex bony reconstruction during surgery. Therefore, surgeons can efficiently and precisely target fracture restorations. Based on three-dimensional models generated from a computed tomographic scan, precise preoperative planning simulation on a computer is possible. Combining the interdisciplinary knowledge of surgeons and engineers, this study proposes a novel surgical guidance method that incorporates a built-in occlusal wafer that serves as the positioning reference.Two patients with complex facial deformity suffering from severe facial asymmetry problems were recruited. In vitro facial reconstruction was first rehearsed on physical models, where a customized surgical guide incorporating a built-in occlusal stent as the positioning reference was designed to implement the surgery plan. This study is intended to present the authors' preliminary experience in a complex facial reconstruction procedure. It suggests that in regions with less information, where intraoperative computed tomographic scans or navigation systems are not available, our approach could be an effective, expedient, straightforward aid to enhance surgical outcome in a complex facial repair.

Mime therapy improves facial symmetry in people with long-term facial nerve paresis: a randomised controlled trial.

PubMed

Beurskens, Carien H G; Heymans, Peter G

2006-01-01

What is the effect of mime therapy on facial symmetry and severity of paresis in people with facial nerve paresis? Randomised controlled trial. 50 people recruited from the Outpatient department of two metropolitan hospitals with facial nerve paresis for more than nine months. The experimental group received three months of mime therapy consisting of massage, relaxation, inhibition of synkinesis, and co-ordination and emotional expression exercises. The control group was placed on a waiting list. Assessments were made on admission to the trial and three months later by a measurer blinded to group allocation. Facial symmetry was measured using the Sunnybrook Facial Grading System. Severity of paresis was measured using the House-Brackmann Facial Grading System. After three months of mime therapy, the experimental group had improved their facial symmetry by 20.4 points (95% CI 10.4 to 30.4) on the Sunnybrook Facial Grading System compared with the control group. In addition, the experimental group had reduced the severity of their paresis by 0.6 grade (95% CI 0.1 to 1.1) on the House-Brackmann Facial Grading System compared with the control group. These effects were independent of age, sex, and duration of paresis. Mime therapy improves facial symmetry and reduces the severity of paresis in people with facial nerve paresis.

Guide to Understanding Facial Palsy

MedlinePlus

... to many different facial muscles. These muscles control facial expression. The coordinated activity of this nerve and these ... involves a weakness of the muscles responsible for facial expression and side-to-side eye movement. Moebius syndrome ...

Managing the Pediatric Facial Fracture

PubMed Central

Cole, Patrick; Kaufman, Yoav; Hollier, Larry H.

2009-01-01

Facial fracture management is often complex and demanding, particularly within the pediatric population. Although facial fractures in this group are uncommon relative to their incidence in adult counterparts, a thorough understanding of issues relevant to pediatric facial fracture management is critical to optimal long-term success. Here, we discuss several issues germane to pediatric facial fractures and review significant factors in their evaluation, diagnosis, and management. PMID:22110800

Dynamic texture recognition using local binary patterns with an application to facial expressions.

PubMed

Zhao, Guoying; Pietikäinen, Matti

2007-06-01

Dynamic texture (DT) is an extension of texture to the temporal domain. Description and recognition of DTs have attracted growing attention. In this paper, a novel approach for recognizing DTs is proposed and its simplifications and extensions to facial image analysis are also considered. First, the textures are modeled with volume local binary patterns (VLBP), which are an extension of the LBP operator widely used in ordinary texture analysis, combining motion and appearance. To make the approach computationally simple and easy to extend, only the co-occurrences of the local binary patterns on three orthogonal planes (LBP-TOP) are then considered. A block-based method is also proposed to deal with specific dynamic events such as facial expressions in which local information and its spatial locations should also be taken into account. In experiments with two DT databases, DynTex and Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), both the VLBP and LBP-TOP clearly outperformed the earlier approaches. The proposed block-based method was evaluated with the Cohn-Kanade facial expression database with excellent results. The advantages of our approach include local processing, robustness to monotonic gray-scale changes, and simple computation.

Neural correlates of the perception of dynamic versus static facial expressions of emotion.

PubMed

Kessler, Henrik; Doyen-Waldecker, Cornelia; Hofer, Christian; Hoffmann, Holger; Traue, Harald C; Abler, Birgit

2011-04-20

This study investigated brain areas involved in the perception of dynamic facial expressions of emotion. A group of 30 healthy subjects was measured with fMRI when passively viewing prototypical facial expressions of fear, disgust, sadness and happiness. Using morphing techniques, all faces were displayed as still images and also dynamically as a film clip with the expressions evolving from neutral to emotional. Irrespective of a specific emotion, dynamic stimuli selectively activated bilateral superior temporal sulcus, visual area V5, fusiform gyrus, thalamus and other frontal and parietal areas. Interaction effects of emotion and mode of presentation (static/dynamic) were only found for the expression of happiness, where static faces evoked greater activity in the medial prefrontal cortex. Our results confirm previous findings on neural correlates of the perception of dynamic facial expressions and are in line with studies showing the importance of the superior temporal sulcus and V5 in the perception of biological motion. Differential activation in the fusiform gyrus for dynamic stimuli stands in contrast to classical models of face perception but is coherent with new findings arguing for a more general role of the fusiform gyrus in the processing of socially relevant stimuli.

Impaired social brain network for processing dynamic facial expressions in autism spectrum disorders.

PubMed

Sato, Wataru; Toichi, Motomi; Uono, Shota; Kochiyama, Takanori

2012-08-13

Impairment of social interaction via facial expressions represents a core clinical feature of autism spectrum disorders (ASD). However, the neural correlates of this dysfunction remain unidentified. Because this dysfunction is manifested in real-life situations, we hypothesized that the observation of dynamic, compared with static, facial expressions would reveal abnormal brain functioning in individuals with ASD.We presented dynamic and static facial expressions of fear and happiness to individuals with high-functioning ASD and to age- and sex-matched typically developing controls and recorded their brain activities using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI). Regional analysis revealed reduced activation of several brain regions in the ASD group compared with controls in response to dynamic versus static facial expressions, including the middle temporal gyrus (MTG), fusiform gyrus, amygdala, medial prefrontal cortex, and inferior frontal gyrus (IFG). Dynamic causal modeling analyses revealed that bi-directional effective connectivity involving the primary visual cortex-MTG-IFG circuit was enhanced in response to dynamic as compared with static facial expressions in the control group. Group comparisons revealed that all these modulatory effects were weaker in the ASD group than in the control group. These results suggest that weak activity and connectivity of the social brain network underlie the impairment in social interaction involving dynamic facial expressions in individuals with ASD.

Characterization of Severe Arterial Phase Respiratory Motion Artifact on Gadoxetate Disodium-Enhanced MRI - Assessment of Interrater Agreement and Reliability.

PubMed

Ringe, Kristina Imeen; Luetkens, Julian A; Fimmers, Rolf; Hammerstingl, Renate Maria; Layer, Günter; Maurer, Martin H; Nähle, Claas Philip; Michalik, Sabine; Reimer, Peter; Schraml, Christina; Schreyer, Andreas G; Stumpp, Patrick; Vogl, Thomas J; Wacker, Frank K; Willinek, Winfried; Kukuk, Guido Mattias

2018-04-01

 To assess the interrater agreement and reliability of experienced abdominal radiologists in the characterization and grading of arterial phase gadoxetate disodium-related respiratory motion artifact on liver MRI.  This prospective multicenter study was initiated by the working group for abdominal imaging within the German Roentgen Society (DRG), and approved by the local IRB of each participating center. 11 board-certified radiologists independently reviewed 40 gadoxetate disodium-enhanced liver MRI datasets. Motion artifacts in the arterial phase were assessed on a 5-point scale. Interrater agreement and reliability were calculated using the intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC) and Kendall coefficient of concordance (W), with p < 0.05 deemed significant.  The ICC for interrater agreement and reliability were 0.983 (CI 0.973 - 0.990) and 0.985 (CI 0.978 - 0.991), respectively (both p < 0.0001), indicating excellent agreement and reliability. Kendall's W for interrater agreement was 0.865. A severe motion artifact, defined as a mean motion score ≥ 4 in the arterial phase was observed in 12 patients. In these specific cases, a motion score ≥ 4 was assigned by all readers in 75 % (n = 9/12 cases).  Differentiation and grading of arterial phase respiratory motion artifact is possible with a high level of inter-/intrarater agreement and interrater reliability, which is crucial for assessing the incidence of this phenomenon in larger multicenter studies.   · Inter- and intrarater agreement for motion artifact scoring is excellent among experienced readers.. · Interrater reliability for motion artifact scoring is excellent among experienced readers.. · Characterization of severe motion artifacts proved feasible in this multicenter study.. · Ringe KI, Luetkens JA, Fimmers R et al. Characterization of Severe Arterial Phase Respiratory Motion Artifact on Gadoxetate Disodium-Enhanced MRI - Assessment of Interrater Agreement

[Facial paralysis in children].

PubMed

Muler, H; Paquelin, F; Cotin, G; Luboinski, B; Henin, J M

1975-01-01

Facial paralyses in children may be grouped under headings displaying a certain amount of individuality. Chronologically, first to be described are neonatal facial paralyses. These are common and are nearly always cured within a few days. Some of these cases are due to the mastoid being crushed at birth with or without the use of forceps. The intra-osseous pathway of the facial nerve is then affected throughout its length. However, a cure is often spontaneous. When this desirable development does not take place within three months, the nerve should be freed by decompressive surgery. The special anatomy of the facial nerve in the new-born baby makes this a delicate operation. Later, in all stages of acute otitis, acute mastoiditis or chronic otitis, facial paralysis can be seen. Treatment depends on the stage reached by the otitis: paracentesis, mastoidectomy, various scraping procedures, and, of course, antibiotherapy. The other causes of facial paralysis in children are very much less common: a frigore or viral, traumatic, occur ring in the course of acute poliomyelitis, shingles or tumours of the middle ear. To these must be added exceptional causes such as vitamin D intoxication, idiopathic hypercalcaemia and certain haemopathies.

[Facial tics and spasms].

PubMed

Potgieser, Adriaan R E; van Dijk, J Marc C; Elting, Jan Willem J; de Koning-Tijssen, Marina A J

2014-01-01

Facial tics and spasms are socially incapacitating, but effective treatment is often available. The clinical picture is sufficient for distinguishing between the different diseases that cause this affliction.We describe three cases of patients with facial tics or spasms: one case of tics, which are familiar to many physicians; one case of blepharospasms; and one case of hemifacial spasms. We discuss the differential diagnosis and the treatment possibilities for facial tics and spasms. Early diagnosis and treatment is important, because of the associated social incapacitation. Botulin toxin should be considered as a treatment option for facial tics and a curative neurosurgical intervention should be considered for hemifacial spasms.

Outcome of different facial nerve reconstruction techniques.

PubMed

Mohamed, Aboshanif; Omi, Eigo; Honda, Kohei; Suzuki, Shinsuke; Ishikawa, Kazuo

There is no technique of facial nerve reconstruction that guarantees facial function recovery up to grade III. To evaluate the efficacy and safety of different facial nerve reconstruction techniques. Facial nerve reconstruction was performed in 22 patients (facial nerve interpositional graft in 11 patients and hypoglossal-facial nerve transfer in another 11 patients). All patients had facial function House-Brackmann (HB) grade VI, either caused by trauma or after resection of a tumor. All patients were submitted to a primary nerve reconstruction except 7 patients, where late reconstruction was performed two weeks to four months after the initial surgery. The follow-up period was at least two years. For facial nerve interpositional graft technique, we achieved facial function HB grade III in eight patients and grade IV in three patients. Synkinesis was found in eight patients, and facial contracture with synkinesis was found in two patients. In regards to hypoglossal-facial nerve transfer using different modifications, we achieved facial function HB grade III in nine patients and grade IV in two patients. Facial contracture, synkinesis and tongue atrophy were found in three patients, and synkinesis was found in five patients. However, those who had primary direct facial-hypoglossal end-to-side anastomosis showed the best result without any neurological deficit. Among various reanimation techniques, when indicated, direct end-to-side facial-hypoglossal anastomosis through epineural suturing is the most effective technique with excellent outcomes for facial reanimation and preservation of tongue movement, particularly when performed as a primary technique. Copyright © 2016 Associação Brasileira de Otorrinolaringologia e Cirurgia Cérvico-Facial. Published by Elsevier Editora Ltda. All rights reserved.

Emotion Unchained: Facial Expression Modulates Gaze Cueing under Cognitive Load.

PubMed

Pecchinenda, Anna; Petrucci, Manuel

2016-01-01

Direction of eye gaze cues spatial attention, and typically this cueing effect is not modulated by the expression of a face unless top-down processes are explicitly or implicitly involved. To investigate the role of cognitive control on gaze cueing by emotional faces, participants performed a gaze cueing task with happy, angry, or neutral faces under high (i.e., counting backward by 7) or low cognitive load (i.e., counting forward by 2). Results show that high cognitive load enhances gaze cueing effects for angry facial expressions. In addition, cognitive load reduces gaze cueing for neutral faces, whereas happy facial expressions and gaze affected object preferences regardless of load. This evidence clearly indicates a differential role of cognitive control in processing gaze direction and facial expression, suggesting that under typical conditions, when we shift attention based on social cues from another person, cognitive control processes are used to reduce interference from emotional information.

Emotion Unchained: Facial Expression Modulates Gaze Cueing under Cognitive Load

PubMed Central

Petrucci, Manuel

2016-01-01

Direction of eye gaze cues spatial attention, and typically this cueing effect is not modulated by the expression of a face unless top-down processes are explicitly or implicitly involved. To investigate the role of cognitive control on gaze cueing by emotional faces, participants performed a gaze cueing task with happy, angry, or neutral faces under high (i.e., counting backward by 7) or low cognitive load (i.e., counting forward by 2). Results show that high cognitive load enhances gaze cueing effects for angry facial expressions. In addition, cognitive load reduces gaze cueing for neutral faces, whereas happy facial expressions and gaze affected object preferences regardless of load. This evidence clearly indicates a differential role of cognitive control in processing gaze direction and facial expression, suggesting that under typical conditions, when we shift attention based on social cues from another person, cognitive control processes are used to reduce interference from emotional information. PMID:27959925

Motion Tracker: Camera-Based Monitoring of Bodily Movements Using Motion Silhouettes

PubMed Central

Westlund, Jacqueline Kory; D’Mello, Sidney K.; Olney, Andrew M.

2015-01-01

Researchers in the cognitive and affective sciences investigate how thoughts and feelings are reflected in the bodily response systems including peripheral physiology, facial features, and body movements. One specific question along this line of research is how cognition and affect are manifested in the dynamics of general body movements. Progress in this area can be accelerated by inexpensive, non-intrusive, portable, scalable, and easy to calibrate movement tracking systems. Towards this end, this paper presents and validates Motion Tracker, a simple yet effective software program that uses established computer vision techniques to estimate the amount a person moves from a video of the person engaged in a task (available for download from http://jakory.com/motion-tracker/). The system works with any commercially available camera and with existing videos, thereby affording inexpensive, non-intrusive, and potentially portable and scalable estimation of body movement. Strong between-subject correlations were obtained between Motion Tracker’s estimates of movement and body movements recorded from the seat (r =.720) and back (r = .695 for participants with higher back movement) of a chair affixed with pressure-sensors while completing a 32-minute computerized task (Study 1). Within-subject cross-correlations were also strong for both the seat (r =.606) and back (r = .507). In Study 2, between-subject correlations between Motion Tracker’s movement estimates and movements recorded from an accelerometer worn on the wrist were also strong (rs = .801, .679, and .681) while people performed three brief actions (e.g., waving). Finally, in Study 3 the within-subject cross-correlation was high (r = .855) when Motion Tracker’s estimates were correlated with the movement of a person’s head as tracked with a Kinect while the person was seated at a desk (Study 3). Best-practice recommendations, limitations, and planned extensions of the system are discussed. PMID:26086771

Sex differences in event-related potentials and attentional biases to emotional facial stimuli.

PubMed

Pfabigan, Daniela M; Lamplmayr-Kragl, Elisabeth; Pintzinger, Nina M; Sailer, Uta; Tran, Ulrich S

2014-01-01

Attentional processes play an important role in the processing of emotional information. Previous research reported attentional biases during stimulus processing in anxiety and depression. However, sex differences in the processing of emotional stimuli and higher prevalence rates of anxiety disorders among women, compared to men, suggest that attentional biases may also differ between the two sexes. The present study used a modified version of the dot probe task with happy, angry, and neutral facial stimuli to investigate the time course of attentional biases in healthy volunteers. Moreover, associations of attentional biases with alexithymia were examined on the behavioral and physiological level. Event-related potentials were measured while 21 participants (11 women) performed the task, utilizing also for the first time a difference wave approach in the analysis to highlight emotion-specific aspects. Women showed overall enhanced probe P1 amplitudes compared to men, in particular after rewarding facial stimuli. Using the difference wave approach, probe P1 amplitudes appeared specifically enhanced with regard to congruently presented happy facial stimuli among women, compared to men. Both methods yielded enhanced probe P1 amplitudes after presentation of the emotional stimulus in the left compared to the right visual hemifield. Probe P1 amplitudes correlated negatively with self-reported alexithymia, most of these correlations were only observable in women. Our results suggest that women orient their attention to a greater extent to facial stimuli than men and corroborate that alexithymia is a correlate of reduced emotional reactivity on a neuronal level. We recommend using a difference wave approach when addressing attentional processes of orientation and disengagement also in future studies.

Recognizing Facial Expressions Automatically from Video

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shan, Caifeng; Braspenning, Ralph

Facial expressions, resulting from movements of the facial muscles, are the face changes in response to a person's internal emotional states, intentions, or social communications. There is a considerable history associated with the study on facial expressions. Darwin [22] was the first to describe in details the specific facial expressions associated with emotions in animals and humans, who argued that all mammals show emotions reliably in their faces. Since that, facial expression analysis has been a area of great research interest for behavioral scientists [27]. Psychological studies [48, 3] suggest that facial expressions, as the main mode for nonverbal communication, play a vital role in human face-to-face communication. For illustration, we show some examples of facial expressions in Fig. 1.

Subliminal cues bias perception of facial affect in patients with social phobia: evidence for enhanced unconscious threat processing

PubMed Central

Jusyte, Aiste; Schönenberg, Michael

2014-01-01

Socially anxious individuals have been shown to exhibit altered processing of facial affect, especially expressions signaling threat. Enhanced unaware processing has been suggested an important mechanism which may give rise to anxious conscious cognition and behavior. This study investigated whether individuals with social anxiety disorder (SAD) are perceptually more vulnerable to the biasing effects of subliminal threat cues compared to healthy controls. In a perceptual judgment task, 23 SAD and 23 matched control participants were asked to rate the affective valence of parametrically manipulated affective expressions ranging from neutral to angry. Each trial was preceded by subliminal presentation of an angry/neutral cue. The SAD group tended to rate target faces as “angry” when the preceding subliminal stimulus was angry vs. neutral, while healthy participants were not biased by the subliminal stimulus presentation. The perceptual bias in SAD was also associated with higher reaction time latencies in the subliminal angry cue condition. The results provide further support for enhanced unconscious threat processing in SAD individuals. The implications for etiology, maintenance, and treatment of SAD are discussed. PMID:25136307

Subliminal cues bias perception of facial affect in patients with social phobia: evidence for enhanced unconscious threat processing.

PubMed

Jusyte, Aiste; Schönenberg, Michael

2014-01-01

Socially anxious individuals have been shown to exhibit altered processing of facial affect, especially expressions signaling threat. Enhanced unaware processing has been suggested an important mechanism which may give rise to anxious conscious cognition and behavior. This study investigated whether individuals with social anxiety disorder (SAD) are perceptually more vulnerable to the biasing effects of subliminal threat cues compared to healthy controls. In a perceptual judgment task, 23 SAD and 23 matched control participants were asked to rate the affective valence of parametrically manipulated affective expressions ranging from neutral to angry. Each trial was preceded by subliminal presentation of an angry/neutral cue. The SAD group tended to rate target faces as "angry" when the preceding subliminal stimulus was angry vs. neutral, while healthy participants were not biased by the subliminal stimulus presentation. The perceptual bias in SAD was also associated with higher reaction time latencies in the subliminal angry cue condition. The results provide further support for enhanced unconscious threat processing in SAD individuals. The implications for etiology, maintenance, and treatment of SAD are discussed.

Facial transplantation for massive traumatic injuries.

PubMed

Alam, Daniel S; Chi, John J

2013-10-01

This article describes the challenges of facial reconstruction and the role of facial transplantation in certain facial defects and injuries. This information is of value to surgeons assessing facial injuries with massive soft tissue loss or injury. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Advances in computer imaging/applications in facial plastic surgery.

PubMed

Papel, I D; Jiannetto, D F

1999-01-01

Rapidly progressing computer technology, ever-increasing expectations of patients, and a confusing medicolegal environment requires a clarification of the role of computer imaging/applications. Advances in computer technology and its applications are reviewed. A brief historical discussion is included for perspective. Improvements in both hardware and software with the advent of digital imaging have allowed great increases in speed and accuracy in patient imaging. This facilitates doctor-patient communication and possibly realistic patient expectations. Patients seeking cosmetic surgery now often expect preoperative imaging. Although society in general has become more litigious, a literature search up to 1998 reveals no lawsuits directly involving computer imaging. It appears that conservative utilization of computer imaging by the facial plastic surgeon may actually reduce liability and promote communication. Recent advances have significantly enhanced the value of computer imaging in the practice of facial plastic surgery. These technological advances in computer imaging appear to contribute a useful technique for the practice of facial plastic surgery. Inclusion of computer imaging should be given serious consideration as an adjunct to clinical practice.

Including the effect of motion artifacts in noise and performance analysis of dual-energy contrast-enhanced mammography

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Allec, N.; Abbaszadeh, S.; Scott, C. C.; Lewin, J. M.; Karim, K. S.

2012-12-01

In contrast-enhanced mammography (CEM), the dual-energy dual-exposure technique, which can leverage existing conventional mammography infrastructure, relies on acquiring the low- and high-energy images using two separate exposures. The finite time between image acquisition leads to motion artifacts in the combined image. Motion artifacts can lead to greater anatomical noise in the combined image due to increased mismatch of the background tissue in the images to be combined, however the impact has not yet been quantified. In this study we investigate a method to include motion artifacts in the dual-energy noise and performance analysis. The motion artifacts are included via an extended cascaded systems model. To validate the model, noise power spectra of a previous dual-energy clinical study are compared to that of the model. The ideal observer detectability is used to quantify the effect of motion artifacts on tumor detectability. It was found that the detectability can be significantly degraded when motion is present (e.g., detectability of 2.5 mm radius tumor decreased by approximately a factor of 2 for translation motion on the order of 1000 μm). The method presented may be used for a more comprehensive theoretical noise and performance analysis and fairer theoretical performance comparison between dual-exposure techniques, where motion artifacts are present, and single-exposure techniques, where low- and high-energy images are acquired simultaneously and motion artifacts are absent.

Including the effect of motion artifacts in noise and performance analysis of dual-energy contrast-enhanced mammography.

PubMed

Allec, N; Abbaszadeh, S; Scott, C C; Lewin, J M; Karim, K S

2012-12-21

In contrast-enhanced mammography (CEM), the dual-energy dual-exposure technique, which can leverage existing conventional mammography infrastructure, relies on acquiring the low- and high-energy images using two separate exposures. The finite time between image acquisition leads to motion artifacts in the combined image. Motion artifacts can lead to greater anatomical noise in the combined image due to increased mismatch of the background tissue in the images to be combined, however the impact has not yet been quantified. In this study we investigate a method to include motion artifacts in the dual-energy noise and performance analysis. The motion artifacts are included via an extended cascaded systems model. To validate the model, noise power spectra of a previous dual-energy clinical study are compared to that of the model. The ideal observer detectability is used to quantify the effect of motion artifacts on tumor detectability. It was found that the detectability can be significantly degraded when motion is present (e.g., detectability of 2.5 mm radius tumor decreased by approximately a factor of 2 for translation motion on the order of 1000 μm). The method presented may be used for a more comprehensive theoretical noise and performance analysis and fairer theoretical performance comparison between dual-exposure techniques, where motion artifacts are present, and single-exposure techniques, where low- and high-energy images are acquired simultaneously and motion artifacts are absent.

Quality of life assessment in facial palsy: validation of the Dutch Facial Clinimetric Evaluation Scale.

PubMed

Kleiss, Ingrid J; Beurskens, Carien H G; Stalmeier, Peep F M; Ingels, Koen J A O; Marres, Henri A M

2015-08-01

This study aimed at validating an existing health-related quality of life questionnaire for patients with facial palsy for implementation in the Dutch language and culture. The Facial Clinimetric Evaluation Scale was translated into the Dutch language using a forward-backward translation method. A pilot test with the translated questionnaire was performed in 10 patients with facial palsy and 10 normal subjects. Finally, cross-cultural adaption was accomplished at our outpatient clinic for facial palsy. Analyses for internal consistency, test-retest reliability, construct validity and responsiveness were performed. Ninety-three patients completed the Dutch Facial Clinimetric Evaluation Scale, the Dutch Facial Disability Index, and the Dutch Short Form (36) Health Survey. Cronbach's α, representing internal consistency, was 0.800. Test-retest reliability was shown by an intraclass correlation coefficient of 0.737. Correlations with the House-Brackmann score, Sunnybrook score, Facial Disability Index physical function, and social/well-being function were -0.292, 0.570, 0.713, and 0.575, respectively. The SF-36 domains correlate best with the FaCE social function domain, with the strongest correlation between the both social function domains (r = 0.576). The FaCE score did statistically significantly increase in 35 patients receiving botulinum toxin type A (P = 0.042, Student t test). The domains 'facial comfort' and 'social function' improved statistically significantly as well (P = 0.022 and P = 0.046, respectively, Student t-test). The Dutch Facial Clinimetric Evaluation Scale shows good psychometric values and can be implemented in the management of Dutch-speaking patients with facial palsy in the Netherlands. Translation of the instrument into other languages may lead to widespread use, making evaluation and comparison possible among different providers.

Facial nerve conduction after sclerotherapy in children with facial lymphatic malformations: report of two cases.

PubMed

Lin, Pei-Jung; Guo, Yuh-Cherng; Lin, Jan-You; Chang, Yu-Tang

2007-04-01

Surgical excision is thought to be the standard treatment of choice for lymphatic malformations. However, when the lesions are limited to the face only, surgical scar and facial nerve injury may impair cosmetics and facial expression. Sclerotherapy, an injection of a sclerosing agent directly through the skin into a lesion, is an alternative method. By evaluating facial nerve conduction, we observed the long-term effect of facial lymphatic malformations after intralesional injection of OK-432 and correlated the findings with anatomic outcomes. One 12-year-old boy with a lesion over the right-side preauricular area adjacent to the main trunk of facial nerve and the other 5-year-old boy with a lesion in the left-sided cheek involving the buccinator muscle were enrolled. The follow-up data of more than one year, including clinical appearance, computed tomography (CT) scan and facial nerve evaluation were collected. The facial nerve conduction study was normal in both cases. Blink reflex in both children revealed normal results as well. Complete resolution was noted on outward appearance and CT scan. The neurophysiologic data were compatible with good anatomic and functional outcomes. Our report suggests that the inflammatory reaction of OK-432 did not interfere with adjacent facial nerve conduction.

Selective attention to a facial feature with and without facial context: an ERP-study.

PubMed

Wijers, A A; Van Besouw, N J P; Mulder, G

2002-04-01

The present experiment addressed the question whether selectively attending to a facial feature (mouth shape) would benefit from the presence of a correct facial context. Subjects attended selectively to one of two possible mouth shapes belonging to photographs of a face with a happy or sad expression, respectively. These mouths were presented randomly either in isolation, embedded in the original photos, or in an exchanged facial context. The ERP effect of attending mouth shape was a lateral posterior negativity, anterior positivity with an onset latency of 160-200 ms; this effect was completely unaffected by the type of facial context. When the mouth shape and the facial context conflicted, this resulted in a medial parieto-occipital positivity with an onset latency of 180 ms, independent of the relevance of the mouth shape. Finally, there was a late (onset at approx. 400 ms) expression (happy vs. sad) effect, which was strongly lateralized to the right posterior hemisphere and was most prominent for attended stimuli in the correct facial context. For the isolated mouth stimuli, a similarly distributed expression effect was observed at an earlier latency range (180-240 ms). These data suggest the existence of separate, independent and neuroanatomically segregated processors engaged in the selective processing of facial features and the detection of contextual congruence and emotional expression of face stimuli. The data do not support that early selective attention processes benefit from top-down constraints provided by the correct facial context.

Support vector machine-based facial-expression recognition method combining shape and appearance

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Han, Eun Jung; Kang, Byung Jun; Park, Kang Ryoung; Lee, Sangyoun

2010-11-01

Facial expression recognition can be widely used for various applications, such as emotion-based human-machine interaction, intelligent robot interfaces, face recognition robust to expression variation, etc. Previous studies have been classified as either shape- or appearance-based recognition. The shape-based method has the disadvantage that the individual variance of facial feature points exists irrespective of similar expressions, which can cause a reduction of the recognition accuracy. The appearance-based method has a limitation in that the textural information of the face is very sensitive to variations in illumination. To overcome these problems, a new facial-expression recognition method is proposed, which combines both shape and appearance information, based on the support vector machine (SVM). This research is novel in the following three ways as compared to previous works. First, the facial feature points are automatically detected by using an active appearance model. From these, the shape-based recognition is performed by using the ratios between the facial feature points based on the facial-action coding system. Second, the SVM, which is trained to recognize the same and different expression classes, is proposed to combine two matching scores obtained from the shape- and appearance-based recognitions. Finally, a single SVM is trained to discriminate four different expressions, such as neutral, a smile, anger, and a scream. By determining the expression of the input facial image whose SVM output is at a minimum, the accuracy of the expression recognition is much enhanced. The experimental results showed that the recognition accuracy of the proposed method was better than previous researches and other fusion methods.

Facial Nerve Paralysis due to a Pleomorphic Adenoma with the Imaging Characteristics of a Facial Nerve Schwannoma

PubMed Central

Nader, Marc-Elie; Bell, Diana; Sturgis, Erich M.; Ginsberg, Lawrence E.; Gidley, Paul W.

2014-01-01

Background Facial nerve paralysis in a patient with a salivary gland mass usually denotes malignancy. However, facial paralysis can also be caused by benign salivary gland tumors. Methods We present a case of facial nerve paralysis due to a benign salivary gland tumor that had the imaging characteristics of an intraparotid facial nerve schwannoma. Results The patient presented to our clinic 4 years after the onset of facial nerve paralysis initially diagnosed as Bell palsy. Computed tomography demonstrated filling and erosion of the stylomastoid foramen with a mass on the facial nerve. Postoperative histopathology showed the presence of a pleomorphic adenoma. Facial paralysis was thought to be caused by extrinsic nerve compression. Conclusions This case illustrates the difficulty of accurate preoperative diagnosis of a parotid gland mass and reinforces the concept that facial nerve paralysis in the context of salivary gland tumors may not always indicate malignancy. PMID:25083397

Facial Nerve Paralysis due to a Pleomorphic Adenoma with the Imaging Characteristics of a Facial Nerve Schwannoma.

PubMed

Nader, Marc-Elie; Bell, Diana; Sturgis, Erich M; Ginsberg, Lawrence E; Gidley, Paul W

2014-08-01

Background Facial nerve paralysis in a patient with a salivary gland mass usually denotes malignancy. However, facial paralysis can also be caused by benign salivary gland tumors. Methods We present a case of facial nerve paralysis due to a benign salivary gland tumor that had the imaging characteristics of an intraparotid facial nerve schwannoma. Results The patient presented to our clinic 4 years after the onset of facial nerve paralysis initially diagnosed as Bell palsy. Computed tomography demonstrated filling and erosion of the stylomastoid foramen with a mass on the facial nerve. Postoperative histopathology showed the presence of a pleomorphic adenoma. Facial paralysis was thought to be caused by extrinsic nerve compression. Conclusions This case illustrates the difficulty of accurate preoperative diagnosis of a parotid gland mass and reinforces the concept that facial nerve paralysis in the context of salivary gland tumors may not always indicate malignancy.

Advances in facial reanimation.

PubMed

Tate, James R; Tollefson, Travis T

2006-08-01

Facial paralysis often has a significant emotional impact on patients. Along with the myriad of new surgical techniques in managing facial paralysis comes the challenge of selecting the most effective procedure for the patient. This review delineates common surgical techniques and reviews state-of-the-art techniques. The options for dynamic reanimation of the paralyzed face must be examined in the context of several patient factors, including age, overall health, and patient desires. The best functional results are obtained with direct facial nerve anastomosis and interpositional nerve grafts. In long-standing facial paralysis, temporalis muscle transfer gives a dependable and quick result. Microvascular free tissue transfer is a reliable technique with reanimation potential whose results continue to improve as microsurgical expertise increases. Postoperative results can be improved with ancillary soft tissue procedures, as well as botulinum toxin. The paper provides an overview of recent advances in facial reanimation, including preoperative assessment, surgical reconstruction options, and postoperative management.

Facial paralysis for the plastic surgeon.

PubMed

Kosins, Aaron M; Hurvitz, Keith A; Evans, Gregory Rd; Wirth, Garrett A

2007-01-01

Facial paralysis presents a significant and challenging reconstructive problem for plastic surgeons. An aesthetically pleasing and acceptable outcome requires not only good surgical skills and techniques, but also knowledge of facial nerve anatomy and an understanding of the causes of facial paralysis.The loss of the ability to move the face has both social and functional consequences for the patient. At the Facial Palsy Clinic in Edinburgh, Scotland, 22,954 patients were surveyed, and over 50% were found to have a considerable degree of psychological distress and social withdrawal as a consequence of their facial paralysis. Functionally, patients present with unilateral or bilateral loss of voluntary and nonvoluntary facial muscle movements. Signs and symptoms can include an asymmetric smile, synkinesis, epiphora or dry eye, abnormal blink, problems with speech articulation, drooling, hyperacusis, change in taste and facial pain.With respect to facial paralysis, surgeons tend to focus on the surgical, or 'hands-on', aspect. However, it is believed that an understanding of the disease process is equally (if not more) important to a successful surgical outcome. The purpose of the present review is to describe the anatomy and diagnostic patterns of the facial nerve, and the epidemiology and common causes of facial paralysis, including clinical features and diagnosis. Treatment options for paralysis are vast, and may include nerve decompression, facial reanimation surgery and botulinum toxin injection, but these are beyond the scope of the present paper.

Facial paralysis for the plastic surgeon

PubMed Central

Kosins, Aaron M; Hurvitz, Keith A; Evans, Gregory RD; Wirth, Garrett A

2007-01-01

Facial paralysis presents a significant and challenging reconstructive problem for plastic surgeons. An aesthetically pleasing and acceptable outcome requires not only good surgical skills and techniques, but also knowledge of facial nerve anatomy and an understanding of the causes of facial paralysis. The loss of the ability to move the face has both social and functional consequences for the patient. At the Facial Palsy Clinic in Edinburgh, Scotland, 22,954 patients were surveyed, and over 50% were found to have a considerable degree of psychological distress and social withdrawal as a consequence of their facial paralysis. Functionally, patients present with unilateral or bilateral loss of voluntary and nonvoluntary facial muscle movements. Signs and symptoms can include an asymmetric smile, synkinesis, epiphora or dry eye, abnormal blink, problems with speech articulation, drooling, hyperacusis, change in taste and facial pain. With respect to facial paralysis, surgeons tend to focus on the surgical, or ‘hands-on’, aspect. However, it is believed that an understanding of the disease process is equally (if not more) important to a successful surgical outcome. The purpose of the present review is to describe the anatomy and diagnostic patterns of the facial nerve, and the epidemiology and common causes of facial paralysis, including clinical features and diagnosis. Treatment options for paralysis are vast, and may include nerve decompression, facial reanimation surgery and botulinum toxin injection, but these are beyond the scope of the present paper. PMID:19554190

Augmentation of linear facial anthropometrics through modern morphometrics: a facial convexity example.

PubMed

Wei, R; Claes, P; Walters, M; Wholley, C; Clement, J G

2011-06-01

The facial region has traditionally been quantified using linear anthropometrics. These are well established in dentistry, but require expertise to be used effectively. The aim of this study was to augment the utility of linear anthropometrics by applying them in conjunction with modern 3-D morphometrics. Facial images of 75 males and 94 females aged 18-25 years with self-reported Caucasian ancestry were used. An anthropometric mask was applied to establish corresponding quasi-landmarks on the images in the dataset. A statistical face-space, encoding shape covariation, was established. The facial median plane was extracted facilitating both manual and automated indication of commonly used midline landmarks. From both indications, facial convexity angles were calculated and compared. The angles were related to the face-space using a regression based pathway enabling the visualization of facial form associated with convexity variation. Good agreement between the manual and automated angles was found (Pearson correlation: 0.9478-0.9474, Dahlberg root mean squared error: 1.15°-1.24°). The population mean angle was 166.59°-166.29° (SD 5.09°-5.2°) for males-females. The angle-pathway provided valuable feedback. Linear facial anthropometrics can be extended when used in combination with a face-space derived from 3-D scans and the exploration of property pathways inferred in a statistically verifiable way. © 2011 Australian Dental Association.

Emotion Recognition in Face and Body Motion in Bulimia Nervosa.

PubMed

Dapelo, Marcela Marin; Surguladze, Simon; Morris, Robin; Tchanturia, Kate

2017-11-01

Social cognition has been studied extensively in anorexia nervosa (AN), but there are few studies in bulimia nervosa (BN). This study investigated the ability of people with BN to recognise emotions in ambiguous facial expressions and in body movement. Participants were 26 women with BN, who were compared with 35 with AN, and 42 healthy controls. Participants completed an emotion recognition task by using faces portraying blended emotions, along with a body emotion recognition task by using videos of point-light walkers. The results indicated that BN participants exhibited difficulties recognising disgust in less-ambiguous facial expressions, and a tendency to interpret non-angry faces as anger, compared with healthy controls. These difficulties were similar to those found in AN. There were no significant differences amongst the groups in body motion emotion recognition. The findings suggest that difficulties with disgust and anger recognition in facial expressions may be shared transdiagnostically in people with eating disorders. Copyright © 2017 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd and Eating Disorders Association. Copyright © 2017 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd and Eating Disorders Association.

Combination prosthetic design providing a superior retention for mid-facial defect rehabilitation: A Case Report

PubMed Central

Nilanonth, Supassra; Shakya, Prana; Srithavaj, Theerathavaj

2017-01-01

Large maxillofacial defects from malignant tumor treatment are rarely rehabilitated by surgical reconstruction alone. Ameloblastic carcinoma, a rare aggressive odontogenic malignant tumor, requires wide surgical excision to gain a tumor-free margin. In the post-surgical defect, prosthetic rehabilitation is the treatment of choice to restore function and esthetics. Moreover, an intra-oral prosthesis such as an obturator restores speech, mastication and deglutition. Retention of the obturator is a major problem while rehabilitating large defects. The existing anatomical structures from the defect with the help of magnet attachments are suitable to enhance retention, stability and support of the prostheses. This case report presents a patient with an intraoral and extra-oral combination defect following surgical resection of ameloblastic carcinoma and describes the prosthetic techniques and design considerations for a magnet-retained obturator and mid-facial prosthesis. An implant-retained mid-facial prosthesis was fabricated. The retention of combined prostheses was obtained from the remaining right posterior teeth only. The patient had an unfavorable defect due to the large size and presence of scar contracture that vertically tends to dislodge the obturator. Magnet attachments were used to combine the facial and oral prosthesis, minimize the vertical dislodging forces and enhance retention. In addition, the retention was also gained from the scar band at lower border of mid-facial defect that avoided the need for more implants surgery. Magnet attachment with anatomical structure of the mid-facial defect provides an acceptable means of retention in large extraoral-intraoral combinations defects, improving the function, esthetic and the patients’ quality of life. Key words:Mid-facial prosthesis, obturator, magnet attachment, maxillectomy. PMID:28469829

Remarkably enhanced current-driven 360° domain wall motion in nanostripe by tuning in-plane biaxial anisotropy.

PubMed

Su, Yuanchang; Weng, Lianghao; Dong, Wenjun; Xi, Bin; Xiong, Rui; Hu, Jingguo

2017-10-17

By micromagnetic simulations, we study the current-driven 360° domain wall (360DW) motion in ferromagnetic nanostripe with an in-plane biaxial anisotropy. We observe the critical annihilation current of 360° domain wall can be enhanced through such a type of anisotropy, the reason of which is the suppression of out-of-plane magnetic moments generated simultaneously with domain-wall motion. In details, We have found that the domain-wall width is only related to K y  - K x , with K x(y) the anisotropy constant in x(y) direction. Taking domain-wall width into consideration, a prior choice is to keep K y  ≈ K x with large enough K. The mode of domain-wall motion has been investigated as well. The traveling-wave-motion region increases with K, while the average DW velocity is almost unchanged. Another noteworthy feature is that a Walker-breakdown-like motion exists before annihilation. In this region, though domain wall moves with an oscillating behavior, the average velocity does not reduce dramatically, but even rise again for a large K.

Marquardt’s Facial Golden Decagon Mask and Its Fitness with South Indian Facial Traits

PubMed Central

Gandikota, Chandra Sekhar; Yadagiri, Poornima K; Manne, Ranjit; Juvvadi, Shubhaker Rao; Farah, Tamkeen; Vattipelli, Shilpa; Gumbelli, Sangeetha

2016-01-01

Introduction The mathematical ratio of 1:1.618 which is famously known as golden ratio seems to appear recurrently in beautiful things in nature as well as in other things that are seen as beautiful. Dr. Marquardt developed a facial golden mask that contains and includes all of the one-dimensional and two-dimensional geometric golden elements formed from the golden ratio and he claimed that beauty is universal, beautiful faces conforms to the facial golden mask regardless of sex and race. Aim The purpose of this study was to evaluate the goodness of fit of the golden facial mask with the South Indian facial traits. Materials and Methods A total of 150 subjects (75 males & 75 females) with attractive faces were selected with cephalometric orthodontic standards of a skeletal class I relation. The facial aesthetics was confirmed by the aesthetic evaluation of the frontal photographs of the subjects by a panel of ten evaluators including five orthodontists and five maxillofacial surgeons. The well-proportioned photographs were superimposed with the Golden mask along the reference lines, to evaluate the goodness of fit. Results South Indian males and females invariably show a wider inter-zygomatic and inter-gonial width than the golden mask. Most of the South Indian females and males show decreased mid-facial height compared to the golden mask, while the total facial height is more or less equal to the golden mask. Conclusion Ethnic or individual discrepancies cannot be totally ignored as in our study the mask did not fit exactly with the South Indian facial traits but, the beauty ratios came closer to those of the mask. To overcome this difficulty, there is a need to develop variants of golden facial mask for different ethnic groups. PMID:27190951

The MPI Facial Expression Database — A Validated Database of Emotional and Conversational Facial Expressions

PubMed Central

Kaulard, Kathrin; Cunningham, Douglas W.; Bülthoff, Heinrich H.; Wallraven, Christian

2012-01-01

The ability to communicate is one of the core aspects of human life. For this, we use not only verbal but also nonverbal signals of remarkable complexity. Among the latter, facial expressions belong to the most important information channels. Despite the large variety of facial expressions we use in daily life, research on facial expressions has so far mostly focused on the emotional aspect. Consequently, most databases of facial expressions available to the research community also include only emotional expressions, neglecting the largely unexplored aspect of conversational expressions. To fill this gap, we present the MPI facial expression database, which contains a large variety of natural emotional and conversational expressions. The database contains 55 different facial expressions performed by 19 German participants. Expressions were elicited with the help of a method-acting protocol, which guarantees both well-defined and natural facial expressions. The method-acting protocol was based on every-day scenarios, which are used to define the necessary context information for each expression. All facial expressions are available in three repetitions, in two intensities, as well as from three different camera angles. A detailed frame annotation is provided, from which a dynamic and a static version of the database have been created. In addition to describing the database in detail, we also present the results of an experiment with two conditions that serve to validate the context scenarios as well as the naturalness and recognizability of the video sequences. Our results provide clear evidence that conversational expressions can be recognized surprisingly well from visual information alone. The MPI facial expression database will enable researchers from different research fields (including the perceptual and cognitive sciences, but also affective computing, as well as computer vision) to investigate the processing of a wider range of natural facial expressions

Two Ways to Facial Expression Recognition? Motor and Visual Information Have Different Effects on Facial Expression Recognition.

PubMed

de la Rosa, Stephan; Fademrecht, Laura; Bülthoff, Heinrich H; Giese, Martin A; Curio, Cristóbal

2018-06-01

Motor-based theories of facial expression recognition propose that the visual perception of facial expression is aided by sensorimotor processes that are also used for the production of the same expression. Accordingly, sensorimotor and visual processes should provide congruent emotional information about a facial expression. Here, we report evidence that challenges this view. Specifically, the repeated execution of facial expressions has the opposite effect on the recognition of a subsequent facial expression than the repeated viewing of facial expressions. Moreover, the findings of the motor condition, but not of the visual condition, were correlated with a nonsensory condition in which participants imagined an emotional situation. These results can be well accounted for by the idea that facial expression recognition is not always mediated by motor processes but can also be recognized on visual information alone.

Recognition of facial expressions and prosodic cues with graded emotional intensities in adults with Asperger syndrome.

PubMed

Doi, Hirokazu; Fujisawa, Takashi X; Kanai, Chieko; Ohta, Haruhisa; Yokoi, Hideki; Iwanami, Akira; Kato, Nobumasa; Shinohara, Kazuyuki

2013-09-01

This study investigated the ability of adults with Asperger syndrome to recognize emotional categories of facial expressions and emotional prosodies with graded emotional intensities. The individuals with Asperger syndrome showed poorer recognition performance for angry and sad expressions from both facial and vocal information. The group difference in facial expression recognition was prominent for stimuli with low or intermediate emotional intensities. In contrast to this, the individuals with Asperger syndrome exhibited lower recognition accuracy than typically-developed controls mainly for emotional prosody with high emotional intensity. In facial expression recognition, Asperger and control groups showed an inversion effect for all categories. The magnitude of this effect was less in the Asperger group for angry and sad expressions, presumably attributable to reduced recruitment of the configural mode of face processing. The individuals with Asperger syndrome outperformed the control participants in recognizing inverted sad expressions, indicating enhanced processing of local facial information representing sad emotion. These results suggest that the adults with Asperger syndrome rely on modality-specific strategies in emotion recognition from facial expression and prosodic information.

Facial Soft Tissue Trauma

PubMed Central

Kretlow, James D.; McKnight, Aisha J.; Izaddoost, Shayan A.

2010-01-01

Traumatic facial soft tissue injuries are commonly encountered in the emergency department by plastic surgeons and other providers. Although rarely life-threatening, the treatment of these injuries can be complex and may have significant impact on the patient's facial function and aesthetics. This article provides a review of the relevant literature related to this topic and describes the authors' approach to the evaluation and management of the patient with facial soft tissue injuries. PMID:22550459

Quantitative Magnetic Resonance Imaging Volumetry of Facial Muscles in Healthy Patients with Facial Palsy

PubMed Central

Volk, Gerd F.; Karamyan, Inna; Klingner, Carsten M.; Reichenbach, Jürgen R.

2014-01-01

Background: Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) has not yet been established systematically to detect structural muscular changes after facial nerve lesion. The purpose of this pilot study was to investigate quantitative assessment of MRI muscle volume data for facial muscles. Methods: Ten healthy subjects and 5 patients with facial palsy were recruited. Using manual or semiautomatic segmentation of 3T MRI, volume measurements were performed for the frontal, procerus, risorius, corrugator supercilii, orbicularis oculi, nasalis, zygomaticus major, zygomaticus minor, levator labii superioris, orbicularis oris, depressor anguli oris, depressor labii inferioris, and mentalis, as well as for the masseter and temporalis as masticatory muscles for control. Results: All muscles except the frontal (identification in 4/10 volunteers), procerus (4/10), risorius (6/10), and zygomaticus minor (8/10) were identified in all volunteers. Sex or age effects were not seen (all P > 0.05). There was no facial asymmetry with exception of the zygomaticus major (larger on the left side; P = 0.012). The exploratory examination of 5 patients revealed considerably smaller muscle volumes on the palsy side 2 months after facial injury. One patient with chronic palsy showed substantial muscle volume decrease, which also occurred in another patient with incomplete chronic palsy restricted to the involved facial area. Facial nerve reconstruction led to mixed results of decreased but also increased muscle volumes on the palsy side compared with the healthy side. Conclusions: First systematic quantitative MRI volume measures of 5 different clinical presentations of facial paralysis are provided. PMID:25289366

[Prosopagnosia and facial expression recognition].

PubMed

Koyama, Shinichi

2014-04-01

This paper reviews clinical neuropsychological studies that have indicated that the recognition of a person's identity and the recognition of facial expressions are processed by different cortical and subcortical areas of the brain. The fusiform gyrus, especially the right fusiform gyrus, plays an important role in the recognition of identity. The superior temporal sulcus, amygdala, and medial frontal cortex play important roles in facial-expression recognition. Both facial recognition and facial-expression recognition are highly intellectual processes that involve several regions of the brain.

Management of Chronic Facial Pain

PubMed Central

Williams, Christopher G.; Dellon, A. Lee; Rosson, Gedge D.

2009-01-01

Pain persisting for at least 6 months is defined as chronic. Chronic facial pain conditions often take on lives of their own deleteriously changing the lives of the sufferer. Although much is known about facial pain, it is clear that those physicians who treat these conditions should continue elucidating the mechanisms and defining successful treatment strategies for these life-changing conditions. This article will review many of the classic causes of chronic facial pain due to the trigeminal nerve and its branches that are amenable to surgical therapies. Testing of facial sensibility is described and its utility introduced. We will also introduce some of the current hypotheses of atypical facial pain and headaches secondary to chronic nerve compressions and will suggest possible treatment strategies. PMID:22110799

Younger and Older Users’ Recognition of Virtual Agent Facial Expressions

PubMed Central

Beer, Jenay M.; Smarr, Cory-Ann; Fisk, Arthur D.; Rogers, Wendy A.

2015-01-01

As technology advances, robots and virtual agents will be introduced into the home and healthcare settings to assist individuals, both young and old, with everyday living tasks. Understanding how users recognize an agent’s social cues is therefore imperative, especially in social interactions. Facial expression, in particular, is one of the most common non-verbal cues used to display and communicate emotion in on-screen agents (Cassell, Sullivan, Prevost, & Churchill, 2000). Age is important to consider because age-related differences in emotion recognition of human facial expression have been supported (Ruffman et al., 2008), with older adults showing a deficit for recognition of negative facial expressions. Previous work has shown that younger adults can effectively recognize facial emotions displayed by agents (Bartneck & Reichenbach, 2005; Courgeon et al. 2009; 2011; Breazeal, 2003); however, little research has compared in-depth younger and older adults’ ability to label a virtual agent’s facial emotions, an import consideration because social agents will be required to interact with users of varying ages. If such age-related differences exist for recognition of virtual agent facial expressions, we aim to understand if those age-related differences are influenced by the intensity of the emotion, dynamic formation of emotion (i.e., a neutral expression developing into an expression of emotion through motion), or the type of virtual character differing by human-likeness. Study 1 investigated the relationship between age-related differences, the implication of dynamic formation of emotion, and the role of emotion intensity in emotion recognition of the facial expressions of a virtual agent (iCat). Study 2 examined age-related differences in recognition expressed by three types of virtual characters differing by human-likeness (non-humanoid iCat, synthetic human, and human). Study 2 also investigated the role of configural and featural processing as a

Facial mimicry in its social setting

PubMed Central

Seibt, Beate; Mühlberger, Andreas; Likowski, Katja U.; Weyers, Peter

2015-01-01

In interpersonal encounters, individuals often exhibit changes in their own facial expressions in response to emotional expressions of another person. Such changes are often called facial mimicry. While this tendency first appeared to be an automatic tendency of the perceiver to show the same emotional expression as the sender, evidence is now accumulating that situation, person, and relationship jointly determine whether and for which emotions such congruent facial behavior is shown. We review the evidence regarding the moderating influence of such factors on facial mimicry with a focus on understanding the meaning of facial responses to emotional expressions in a particular constellation. From this, we derive recommendations for a research agenda with a stronger focus on the most common forms of encounters, actual interactions with known others, and on assessing potential mediators of facial mimicry. We conclude that facial mimicry is modulated by many factors: attention deployment and sensitivity, detection of valence, emotional feelings, and social motivations. We posit that these are the more proximal causes of changes in facial mimicry due to changes in its social setting. PMID:26321970

Facial neuroma masquerading as acoustic neuroma.

PubMed

Sayegh, Eli T; Kaur, Gurvinder; Ivan, Michael E; Bloch, Orin; Cheung, Steven W; Parsa, Andrew T

2014-10-01

Facial nerve neuromas are rare benign tumors that may be initially misdiagnosed as acoustic neuromas when situated near the auditory apparatus. We describe a patient with a large cystic tumor with associated trigeminal, facial, audiovestibular, and brainstem dysfunction, which was suspicious for acoustic neuroma on preoperative neuroimaging. Intraoperative investigation revealed a facial nerve neuroma located in the cerebellopontine angle and internal acoustic canal. Gross total resection of the tumor via retrosigmoid craniotomy was curative. Transection of the facial nerve necessitated facial reanimation 4 months later via hypoglossal-facial cross-anastomosis. Clinicians should recognize the natural history, diagnostic approach, and management of this unusual and mimetic lesion. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Spontaneous Facial Mimicry Is Enhanced by the Goal of Inferring Emotional States: Evidence for Moderation of “Automatic” Mimicry by Higher Cognitive Processes

PubMed Central

Murata, Aiko; Saito, Hisamichi; Schug, Joanna; Ogawa, Kenji; Kameda, Tatsuya

2016-01-01

A number of studies have shown that individuals often spontaneously mimic the facial expressions of others, a tendency known as facial mimicry. This tendency has generally been considered a reflex-like “automatic” response, but several recent studies have shown that the degree of mimicry may be moderated by contextual information. However, the cognitive and motivational factors underlying the contextual moderation of facial mimicry require further empirical investigation. In this study, we present evidence that the degree to which participants spontaneously mimic a target’s facial expressions depends on whether participants are motivated to infer the target’s emotional state. In the first study we show that facial mimicry, assessed by facial electromyography, occurs more frequently when participants are specifically instructed to infer a target’s emotional state than when given no instruction. In the second study, we replicate this effect using the Facial Action Coding System to show that participants are more likely to mimic facial expressions of emotion when they are asked to infer the target’s emotional state, rather than make inferences about a physical trait unrelated to emotion. These results provide convergent evidence that the explicit goal of understanding a target’s emotional state affects the degree of facial mimicry shown by the perceiver, suggesting moderation of reflex-like motor activities by higher cognitive processes. PMID:27055206

Self-recognition of avatar motion: how do I know it's me?

PubMed

Cook, Richard; Johnston, Alan; Heyes, Cecilia

2012-02-22

When motion is isolated from form cues and viewed from third-person perspectives, individuals are able to recognize their own whole body movements better than those of friends. Because we rarely see our own bodies in motion from third-person viewpoints, this self-recognition advantage may indicate a contribution to perception from the motor system. Our first experiment provides evidence that recognition of self-produced and friends' motion dissociate, with only the latter showing sensitivity to orientation. Through the use of selectively disrupted avatar motion, our second experiment shows that self-recognition of facial motion is mediated by knowledge of the local temporal characteristics of one's own actions. Specifically, inverted self-recognition was unaffected by disruption of feature configurations and trajectories, but eliminated by temporal distortion. While actors lack third-person visual experience of their actions, they have a lifetime of proprioceptive, somatosensory, vestibular and first-person-visual experience. These sources of contingent feedback may provide actors with knowledge about the temporal properties of their actions, potentially supporting recognition of characteristic rhythmic variation when viewing self-produced motion. In contrast, the ability to recognize the motion signatures of familiar others may be dependent on configural topographic cues.

Impaired social brain network for processing dynamic facial expressions in autism spectrum disorders

PubMed Central

2012-01-01

Background Impairment of social interaction via facial expressions represents a core clinical feature of autism spectrum disorders (ASD). However, the neural correlates of this dysfunction remain unidentified. Because this dysfunction is manifested in real-life situations, we hypothesized that the observation of dynamic, compared with static, facial expressions would reveal abnormal brain functioning in individuals with ASD. We presented dynamic and static facial expressions of fear and happiness to individuals with high-functioning ASD and to age- and sex-matched typically developing controls and recorded their brain activities using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI). Result Regional analysis revealed reduced activation of several brain regions in the ASD group compared with controls in response to dynamic versus static facial expressions, including the middle temporal gyrus (MTG), fusiform gyrus, amygdala, medial prefrontal cortex, and inferior frontal gyrus (IFG). Dynamic causal modeling analyses revealed that bi-directional effective connectivity involving the primary visual cortex–MTG–IFG circuit was enhanced in response to dynamic as compared with static facial expressions in the control group. Group comparisons revealed that all these modulatory effects were weaker in the ASD group than in the control group. Conclusions These results suggest that weak activity and connectivity of the social brain network underlie the impairment in social interaction involving dynamic facial expressions in individuals with ASD. PMID:22889284

Development and characterization of clay facial mask containing turmeric extract solid dispersion.

PubMed

Pan-On, Suchiwa; Rujivipat, Soravoot; Ounaroon, Anan; Tiyaboonchai, Waree

2018-04-01

To develop clay facial mask containing turmeric extract solid dispersion (TESD) for enhancing curcumin water solubility and permeability and to determine suitable clay based facial mask. The TESD were prepared by solvent and melting solvent method with various TE to polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP) K30 mass ratios. The physicochemical properties, water solubility, and permeability were examined. The effects of clay types on physical stability of TESD, water adsorption, and curcumin adsorption capacity were evaluated. The TESD prepared by solvent method with a TE to PVP K30 mass ratio of 1:2 showed physically stable, dry powders, when mixed with clay. When TESD was dissolved in water, the obtained TESD micelles showed spherical shape with mean size of ∼100 nm resulting in a substantial enhancement of curcumin water solubility, ∼5 mg/ml. Bentonite (Bent) and mica (M) showed the highest water adsorption capacity. The TESD's color was altered when mixed with Bent, titanium dioxide (TiO 2 ) and zinc oxide (ZnO) indicating curcumin instability. Talcum (Talc) showed the greatest curcumin adsorption followed by M and kaolin (K), respectively. Consequently, in vitro permeation studies of the TESD mixed with Talc showed lowest curcumin permeation, while TESD mixed with M or K showed similar permeation profile as free TESD solutions. The developed TESD-based clay facial mask showed lower curcumin permeation as compared to those formulations with Tween 80. The water solubility and permeability of curcumin in clay based facial mask could be improved using solid dispersion technique and suitable clay base composed of K, M, and Talc.

Facial reanimation with gracilis muscle transfer neurotized to cross-facial nerve graft versus masseteric nerve: a comparative study using the FACIAL CLIMA evaluating system.

PubMed

Hontanilla, Bernardo; Marre, Diego; Cabello, Alvaro

2013-06-01

Longstanding unilateral facial paralysis is best addressed with microneurovascular muscle transplantation. Neurotization can be obtained from the cross-facial or the masseter nerve. The authors present a quantitative comparison of both procedures using the FACIAL CLIMA system. Forty-seven patients with complete unilateral facial paralysis underwent reanimation with a free gracilis transplant neurotized to either a cross-facial nerve graft (group I, n=20) or to the ipsilateral masseteric nerve (group II, n=27). Commissural displacement and commissural contraction velocity were measured using the FACIAL CLIMA system. Postoperative intragroup commissural displacement and commissural contraction velocity means of the reanimated versus the normal side were first compared using the independent samples t test. Mean percentage of recovery of both parameters were compared between the groups using the independent samples t test. Significant differences of mean commissural displacement and commissural contraction velocity between the reanimated side and the normal side were observed in group I (p=0.001 and p=0.014, respectively) but not in group II. Intergroup comparisons showed that both commissural displacement and commissural contraction velocity were higher in group II, with significant differences for commissural displacement (p=0.048). Mean percentage of recovery of both parameters was higher in group II, with significant differences for commissural displacement (p=0.042). Free gracilis muscle transfer neurotized by the masseteric nerve is a reliable technique for reanimation of longstanding facial paralysis. Compared with cross-facial nerve graft neurotization, this technique provides better symmetry and a higher degree of recovery. Therapeutic, III.

Are facial injuries really different? An observational cohort study comparing appearance concern and psychological distress in facial trauma and non-facial trauma patients.

PubMed

Rahtz, Emmylou; Bhui, Kamaldeep; Hutchison, Iain; Korszun, Ania

2018-01-01

Facial injuries are widely assumed to lead to stigma and significant psychosocial burden. Experimental studies of face perception support this idea, but there is very little empirical evidence to guide treatment. This study sought to address the gap. Data were collected from 193 patients admitted to hospital following facial or other trauma. Ninety (90) participants were successfully followed up 8 months later. Participants completed measures of appearance concern and psychological distress (post-traumatic stress symptoms (PTSS), depressive symptoms, anxiety symptoms). Participants were classified by site of injury (facial or non-facial injury). The overall levels of appearance concern were comparable to those of the general population, and there was no evidence of more appearance concern among people with facial injuries. Women and younger people were significantly more likely to experience appearance concern at baseline. Baseline and 8-month psychological distress, although common in the sample, did not differ according to the site of injury. Changes in appearance concern were, however, strongly associated with psychological distress at follow-up. We conclude that although appearance concern is severe among some people with facial injury, it is not especially different to those with non-facial injuries or the general public; changes in appearance concern, however, appear to correlate with psychological distress. We therefore suggest that interventions might focus on those with heightened appearance concern and should target cognitive bias and psychological distress. Copyright © 2017 British Association of Plastic, Reconstructive and Aesthetic Surgeons. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

The Relationships between Processing Facial Identity, Emotional Expression, Facial Speech, and Gaze Direction during Development

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Spangler, Sibylle M.; Schwarzer, Gudrun; Korell, Monika; Maier-Karius, Johanna

2010-01-01

Four experiments were conducted with 5- to 11-year-olds and adults to investigate whether facial identity, facial speech, emotional expression, and gaze direction are processed independently of or in interaction with one another. In a computer-based, speeded sorting task, participants sorted faces according to facial identity while disregarding…

Intratemporal facial nerve ultrastructure in patients with idiopathic facial paralysis: viral infection evidence study.

PubMed

Florez, Rosangela Aló Maluza; Lang, Raquel; Veridiano, Adriano Mora; Zanini, Renato de Oliveira; Calió, Pedro Luiz; Simões, Ricardo Dos Santos; Testa, José Ricardo Gurgel

2010-01-01

The etiology of idiopathic peripheral facial palsy (IPFP) is still uncertain; however, some authors suggest the possibility of a viral infection. to analyze the ultrastructure of the facial nerve seeking viral evidences that might provide etiological data. We studied 20 patients with peripheral facial palsy (PFP), with moderate to severe FP, of both genders, between 18-60 years of age, from the Clinic of Facial Nerve Disorders. The patients were broken down into two groups - Study: eleven patients with IPFP and Control: nine patients with trauma or tumor-related PFP. The fragments were obtained from the facial nerve sheath or from fragments of its stumps - which would be discarded or sent to pathology exam during the facial nerve repair surgery. The removed tissue was fixed in 2% glutaraldehyde, and studied under Electronic Transmission Microscopy. In the study group we observed an intense repair cellular activity by increased collagen fibers, fibroblasts containing developed organelles, free of viral particles. In the control group this repair activity was not evident, but no viral particles were observed. There were no viral particles, and there were evidences of intense activity of repair or viral infection.

Development of enhanced piezoelectric energy harvester induced by human motion.

PubMed

Minami, Y; Nakamachi, E

2012-01-01

In this study, a high frequency piezoelectric energy harvester converted from the human low vibrated motion energy was newly developed. This hybrid energy harvester consists of the unimorph piezoelectric cantilever and a couple of permanent magnets. One magnet was attached at the end of cantilever, and the counterpart magnet was set at the end of the pendulum. The mechanical energy provided through the human walking motion, which is a typical ubiquitous presence of vibration, is converted to the electric energy via the piezoelectric cantilever vibration system. At first, we studied the energy convert mechanism and the performance of our energy harvester, where the resonance free vibration of unimorph cantilever with one permanent magnet under a rather high frequency was induced by the artificial low frequency vibration. The counterpart magnet attached on the pendulum. Next, we equipped the counterpart permanent magnet pendulum, which was fluctuated under a very low frequency by the human walking, and the piezoelectric cantilever, which had the permanent magnet at the end. The low-to-high frequency convert "hybrid system" can be characterized as an enhanced energy harvest one. We examined and obtained maximum values of voltage and power in this system, as 1.2V and 1.2 µW. Those results show the possibility to apply for the energy harvester in the portable and implantable Bio-MEMS devices.

Peripheral facial palsy in children.

PubMed

Yılmaz, Unsal; Cubukçu, Duygu; Yılmaz, Tuba Sevim; Akıncı, Gülçin; Ozcan, Muazzez; Güzel, Orkide

2014-11-01

The aim of this study is to evaluate the types and clinical characteristics of peripheral facial palsy in children. The hospital charts of children diagnosed with peripheral facial palsy were reviewed retrospectively. A total of 81 children (42 female and 39 male) with a mean age of 9.2 ± 4.3 years were included in the study. Causes of facial palsy were 65 (80.2%) idiopathic (Bell palsy) facial palsy, 9 (11.1%) otitis media/mastoiditis, and tumor, trauma, congenital facial palsy, chickenpox, Melkersson-Rosenthal syndrome, enlarged lymph nodes, and familial Mediterranean fever (each 1; 1.2%). Five (6.1%) patients had recurrent attacks. In patients with Bell palsy, female/male and right/left ratios were 36/29 and 35/30, respectively. Of them, 31 (47.7%) had a history of preceding infection. The overall rate of complete recovery was 98.4%. A wide variety of disorders can present with peripheral facial palsy in children. Therefore, careful investigation and differential diagnosis is essential. © The Author(s) 2013.

Facial expressions and pair bonds in hylobatids.

PubMed

Florkiewicz, Brittany; Skollar, Gabriella; Reichard, Ulrich H

2018-06-06

Facial expressions are an important component of primate communication that functions to transmit social information and modulate intentions and motivations. Chimpanzees and macaques, for example, produce a variety of facial expressions when communicating with conspecifics. Hylobatids also produce various facial expressions; however, the origin and function of these facial expressions are still largely unclear. It has been suggested that larger facial expression repertoires may have evolved in the context of social complexity, but this link has yet to be tested at a broader empirical basis. The social complexity hypothesis offers a possible explanation for the evolution of complex communicative signals such as facial expressions, because as the complexity of an individual's social environment increases so does the need for communicative signals. We used an intraspecies, pair-focused study design to test the link between facial expressions and sociality within hylobatids, specifically the strength of pair-bonds. The current study compared 206 hr of video and 103 hr of focal animal data for ten hylobatid pairs from three genera (Nomascus, Hoolock, and Hylobates) living at the Gibbon Conservation Center. Using video footage, we explored 5,969 facial expressions along three dimensions: repertoire use, repertoire breadth, and facial expression synchrony [FES]. We then used focal animal data to compare dimensions of facial expressiveness to pair bond strength and behavioral synchrony. Hylobatids in our study overlapped in only half of their facial expressions (50%) with the only other detailed, quantitative study of hylobatid facial expressions, while 27 facial expressions were uniquely observed in our study animals. Taken together, hylobatids have a large facial expression repertoire of at least 80 unique facial expressions. Contrary to our prediction, facial repertoire composition was not significantly correlated with pair bond strength, rates of territorial synchrony

Impact of facial defect reconstruction on attractiveness and negative facial perception.

PubMed

Dey, Jacob K; Ishii, Masaru; Boahene, Kofi D O; Byrne, Patrick; Ishii, Lisa E

2015-06-01

Measure the impact of facial defect reconstruction on observer-graded attractiveness and negative facial perception. Prospective, randomized, controlled experiment. One hundred twenty casual observers viewed images of faces with defects of varying sizes and locations before and after reconstruction as well as normal comparison faces. Observers rated attractiveness, defect severity, and how disfiguring, bothersome, and important to repair they considered each face. Facial defects decreased attractiveness -2.26 (95% confidence interval [CI]: -2.45, -2.08) on a 10-point scale. Mixed effects linear regression showed this attractiveness penalty varied with defect size and location, with large and central defects generating the greatest penalty. Reconstructive surgery increased attractiveness 1.33 (95% CI: 1.18, 1.47), an improvement dependent upon size and location, restoring some defect categories to near normal ranges of attractiveness. Iterated principal factor analysis indicated the disfiguring, important to repair, bothersome, and severity variables were highly correlated and measured a common domain; thus, they were combined to create the disfigured, important to repair, bothersome, severity (DIBS) factor score, representing negative facial perception. The DIBS regression showed defect faces have a 1.5 standard deviation increase in negative perception (DIBS: 1.69, 95% CI: 1.61, 1.77) compared to normal faces, which decreased by a similar magnitude after surgery (DIBS: -1.44, 95% CI: -1.49, -1.38). These findings varied with defect size and location. Surgical reconstruction of facial defects increased attractiveness and decreased negative social facial perception, an impact that varied with defect size and location. These new social perception data add to the evidence base demonstrating the value of high-quality reconstructive surgery. NA. © 2015 The American Laryngological, Rhinological and Otological Society, Inc.

Imaging the Facial Nerve: A Contemporary Review

PubMed Central

Gupta, Sachin; Mends, Francine; Hagiwara, Mari; Fatterpekar, Girish; Roehm, Pamela C.

2013-01-01

Imaging plays a critical role in the evaluation of a number of facial nerve disorders. The facial nerve has a complex anatomical course; thus, a thorough understanding of the course of the facial nerve is essential to localize the sites of pathology. Facial nerve dysfunction can occur from a variety of causes, which can often be identified on imaging. Computed tomography and magnetic resonance imaging are helpful for identifying bony facial canal and soft tissue abnormalities, respectively. Ultrasound of the facial nerve has been used to predict functional outcomes in patients with Bell's palsy. More recently, diffusion tensor tractography has appeared as a new modality which allows three-dimensional display of facial nerve fibers. PMID:23766904

Intranasal oxytocin increases facial expressivity, but not ratings of trustworthiness, in patients with schizophrenia and healthy controls.

PubMed

Woolley, J D; Chuang, B; Fussell, C; Scherer, S; Biagianti, B; Fulford, D; Mathalon, D H; Vinogradov, S

2017-05-01

Blunted facial affect is a common negative symptom of schizophrenia. Additionally, assessing the trustworthiness of faces is a social cognitive ability that is impaired in schizophrenia. Currently available pharmacological agents are ineffective at improving either of these symptoms, despite their clinical significance. The hypothalamic neuropeptide oxytocin has multiple prosocial effects when administered intranasally to healthy individuals and shows promise in decreasing negative symptoms and enhancing social cognition in schizophrenia. Although two small studies have investigated oxytocin's effects on ratings of facial trustworthiness in schizophrenia, its effects on facial expressivity have not been investigated in any population. We investigated the effects of oxytocin on facial emotional expressivity while participants performed a facial trustworthiness rating task in 33 individuals with schizophrenia and 35 age-matched healthy controls using a double-blind, placebo-controlled, cross-over design. Participants rated the trustworthiness of presented faces interspersed with emotionally evocative photographs while being video-recorded. Participants' facial expressivity in these videos was quantified by blind raters using a well-validated manualized approach (i.e. the Facial Expression Coding System; FACES). While oxytocin administration did not affect ratings of facial trustworthiness, it significantly increased facial expressivity in individuals with schizophrenia (Z = -2.33, p = 0.02) and at trend level in healthy controls (Z = -1.87, p = 0.06). These results demonstrate that oxytocin administration can increase facial expressivity in response to emotional stimuli and suggest that oxytocin may have the potential to serve as a treatment for blunted facial affect in schizophrenia.

Caring or daring? Exploring the impact of facial masculinity/femininity and gender category information on first impressions.

PubMed

Walker, Mirella; Wänke, Michaela

2017-01-01

In two studies we disentangled and systematically investigated the impact of subtle facial cues to masculinity/femininity and gender category information on first impressions. Participants judged the same unambiguously male and female target persons-either with masculine or feminine facial features slightly enhanced-regarding stereotypically masculine (i.e., competence) and feminine (i.e., warmth) personality traits. Results of both studies showed a strong effect of facial masculinity/femininity: Masculine-looking persons were seen as colder and more competent than feminine-looking persons. This effect of facial masculinity/femininity was not only found for typical (i.e., masculine-looking men and feminine-looking women) and atypical (i.e., masculine-looking women and feminine-looking men) category members; it was even found to be more pronounced for atypical than for typical category members. This finding reveals that comparing atypical members to the group prototype results in pronounced effects of facial masculinity/femininity. These contrast effects for atypical members predominate assimilation effects for typical members. Intriguingly, very subtle facial cues to masculinity/femininity strongly guide first impressions and may have more impact than the gender category.

Facial Expression Influences Face Identity Recognition During the Attentional Blink

PubMed Central

2014-01-01

Emotional stimuli (e.g., negative facial expressions) enjoy prioritized memory access when task relevant, consistent with their ability to capture attention. Whether emotional expression also impacts on memory access when task-irrelevant is important for arbitrating between feature-based and object-based attentional capture. Here, the authors address this question in 3 experiments using an attentional blink task with face photographs as first and second target (T1, T2). They demonstrate reduced neutral T2 identity recognition after angry or happy T1 expression, compared to neutral T1, and this supports attentional capture by a task-irrelevant feature. Crucially, after neutral T1, T2 identity recognition was enhanced and not suppressed when T2 was angry—suggesting that attentional capture by this task-irrelevant feature may be object-based and not feature-based. As an unexpected finding, both angry and happy facial expressions suppress memory access for competing objects, but only angry facial expression enjoyed privileged memory access. This could imply that these 2 processes are relatively independent from one another. PMID:25286076

Facial expression influences face identity recognition during the attentional blink.

PubMed

Bach, Dominik R; Schmidt-Daffy, Martin; Dolan, Raymond J

2014-12-01

Emotional stimuli (e.g., negative facial expressions) enjoy prioritized memory access when task relevant, consistent with their ability to capture attention. Whether emotional expression also impacts on memory access when task-irrelevant is important for arbitrating between feature-based and object-based attentional capture. Here, the authors address this question in 3 experiments using an attentional blink task with face photographs as first and second target (T1, T2). They demonstrate reduced neutral T2 identity recognition after angry or happy T1 expression, compared to neutral T1, and this supports attentional capture by a task-irrelevant feature. Crucially, after neutral T1, T2 identity recognition was enhanced and not suppressed when T2 was angry-suggesting that attentional capture by this task-irrelevant feature may be object-based and not feature-based. As an unexpected finding, both angry and happy facial expressions suppress memory access for competing objects, but only angry facial expression enjoyed privileged memory access. This could imply that these 2 processes are relatively independent from one another.

Facial nerve palsy due to birth trauma

MedlinePlus

Seventh cranial nerve palsy due to birth trauma; Facial palsy - birth trauma; Facial palsy - neonate; Facial palsy - infant ... An infant's facial nerve is also called the seventh cranial nerve. It can be damaged just before or at the time of delivery. ...

Facial Nerve Paralysis due to Chronic Otitis Media: Prognosis in Restoration of Facial Function after Surgical Intervention

PubMed Central

Kim, Jin; Jung, Gu-Hyun; Park, See-Young

2012-01-01

Purpose Facial paralysis is an uncommon but significant complication of chronic otitis media (COM). Surgical eradication of the disease is the most viable way to overcome facial paralysis therefrom. In an effort to guide treatment of this rare complication, we analyzed the prognosis of facial function after surgical treatment. Materials and Methods A total of 3435 patients with COM, who underwent various otologic surgeries throughout a period of 20 years, were analyzed retrospectively. Forty six patients (1.33%) had facial nerve paralysis caused by COM. We analyzed prognostic factors including delay of surgery, the extent of disease, presence or absence of cholesteatoma and the type of surgery affecting surgical outcomes. Results Surgical intervention had a good effect on the restoration of facial function in cases of shorter duration of onset of facial paralysis to surgery and cases of sudden onset, without cholesteatoma. No previous ear surgery and healthy bony labyrinth indicated a good postoperative prognosis. Conclusion COM causing facial paralysis is most frequently due to cholesteatoma and the presence of cholesteatoma decreased the effectiveness of surgical treatment and indicated a poor prognosis after surgery. In our experience, early surgical intervention can be crucial to recovery of facial function. To prevent recurrent cholesteatoma, which leads to local destruction of the facial nerve, complete eradication of the disease in one procedure cannot be overemphasized for the treatment of patients with COM. PMID:22477011

Use of Facial Recognition Software to Identify Disaster Victims With Facial Injuries.

PubMed

Broach, John; Yong, Rothsovann; Manuell, Mary-Elise; Nichols, Constance

2017-10-01

After large-scale disasters, victim identification frequently presents a challenge and a priority for responders attempting to reunite families and ensure proper identification of deceased persons. The purpose of this investigation was to determine whether currently commercially available facial recognition software can successfully identify disaster victims with facial injuries. Photos of 106 people were taken before and after application of moulage designed to simulate traumatic facial injuries. These photos as well as photos from volunteers' personal photo collections were analyzed by using facial recognition software to determine whether this technology could accurately identify a person with facial injuries. The study results suggest that a responder could expect to get a correct match between submitted photos and photos of injured patients between 39% and 45% of the time and a much higher percentage of correct returns if submitted photos were of optimal quality with percentages correct exceeding 90% in most situations. The present results suggest that the use of this software would provide significant benefit to responders. Although a correct result was returned only 40% of the time, this would still likely represent a benefit for a responder trying to identify hundreds or thousands of victims. (Disaster Med Public Health Preparedness. 2017;11:568-572).

[Neural mechanisms of facial recognition].

PubMed

Nagai, Chiyoko

2007-01-01

We review recent researches in neural mechanisms of facial recognition in the light of three aspects: facial discrimination and identification, recognition of facial expressions, and face perception in itself. First, it has been demonstrated that the fusiform gyrus has a main role of facial discrimination and identification. However, whether the FFA (fusiform face area) is really a special area for facial processing or not is controversial; some researchers insist that the FFA is related to 'becoming an expert' for some kinds of visual objects, including faces. Neural mechanisms of prosopagnosia would be deeply concerned to this issue. Second, the amygdala seems to be very concerned to recognition of facial expressions, especially fear. The amygdala, connected with the superior temporal sulcus and the orbitofrontal cortex, appears to operate the cortical function. The amygdala and the superior temporal sulcus are related to gaze recognition, which explains why a patient with bilateral amygdala damage could not recognize only a fear expression; the information from eyes is necessary for fear recognition. Finally, even a newborn infant can recognize a face as a face, which is congruent with the innate hypothesis of facial recognition. Some researchers speculate that the neural basis of such face perception is the subcortical network, comprised of the amygdala, the superior colliculus, and the pulvinar. This network would relate to covert recognition that prosopagnosic patients have.

Face processing regions are sensitive to distinct aspects of temporal sequence in facial dynamics.

PubMed

Reinl, Maren; Bartels, Andreas

2014-11-15

Facial movement conveys important information for social interactions, yet its neural processing is poorly understood. Computational models propose that shape- and temporal sequence sensitive mechanisms interact in processing dynamic faces. While face processing regions are known to respond to facial movement, their sensitivity to particular temporal sequences has barely been studied. Here we used fMRI to examine the sensitivity of human face-processing regions to two aspects of directionality in facial movement trajectories. We presented genuine movie recordings of increasing and decreasing fear expressions, each of which were played in natural or reversed frame order. This two-by-two factorial design matched low-level visual properties, static content and motion energy within each factor, emotion-direction (increasing or decreasing emotion) and timeline (natural versus artificial). The results showed sensitivity for emotion-direction in FFA, which was timeline-dependent as it only occurred within the natural frame order, and sensitivity to timeline in the STS, which was emotion-direction-dependent as it only occurred for decreased fear. The occipital face area (OFA) was sensitive to the factor timeline. These findings reveal interacting temporal sequence sensitive mechanisms that are responsive to both ecological meaning and to prototypical unfolding of facial dynamics. These mechanisms are temporally directional, provide socially relevant information regarding emotional state or naturalness of behavior, and agree with predictions from modeling and predictive coding theory. Copyright © 2014 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Preliminary results in single-step wound closure procedure of full-thickness facial burns in children by using the collagen-elastin matrix and review of pediatric facial burns.

PubMed

Demircan, Mehmet; Cicek, Tugrul; Yetis, Muhammed Ikbal

2015-09-01

Management of full-thickness facial burns remains one of the greatest challenges. Controversy exists among surgeons regarding the use of early excision for facial burns. Unfortunately, delayed excision of deeper burns often results in more scarring and subsequent reconstruction becomes more difficult. A collagen-elastin matrix is used to improve the quality of the reconstructed skin, to reduce scarring and to prevent wound contraction. It serves as a foundation for split thickness skin graft and enhances short and long-term results. We report the usage of a collagen-elastin matrix during single-step wound closure technique of severe full-thickness facial burns in 15 children with large burned body surface area, and also we review the literature about pediatric facial burns. There were 15 pediatric patients with severe facial burns, 8 girls and 7 boys ranging in age from 10 months to 12 years, mean age 7 years and 6 months old. The facial burn surface area (FBSA) among the patients includes seven patients with 100%, five with 75%, and three with 50%. The average total body surface area (TBSA) for the patients was 72%, ranging between 50 and 90%. 5 of the patients' admissions were late, more than four days after burns while the rest of the patients were admitted within the first four days (acute admission time). The burns were caused by flame in eight of the patients, bomb blast in four, and scalding in three. All patients were treated by the simultaneous application of the collagen-elastin matrix and an unmeshed split thickness skin graft at Turgut Özal Medical Center, Pediatric Burn Center, Malatya, Turkey. After the treatment only two patients needed a second operation for revision of the grafts. All grafts transplanted to the face survived. The average Vancouver scar scales (VSS) were 2.55±1.42, ranging between one and six, in the first 10 of 15 patients at the end of 6 months postoperatively. VSS measurements of the last 5 patients were not taken since the 6

Noninvasive Facial Rejuvenation. Part 1: Patient-Directed

PubMed Central

Commander, Sarah Jane; Chang, Daniel; Fakhro, Abdulla; Nigro, Marjory G.; Lee, Edward I.

2016-01-01

A proper knowledge of noninvasive facial rejuvenation is integral to the practice of a cosmetic surgeon. Noninvasive facial rejuvenation can be divided into patient- versus physician-directed modalities. Patient-directed facial rejuvenation combines the use of facial products such as sunscreen, moisturizers, retinoids, α-hydroxy acids, and various antioxidants to both maintain youthful skin and rejuvenate damaged skin. Physicians may recommend and often prescribe certain products, but the patients are in control of this type of facial rejuvenation. On the other hand, physician-directed facial rejuvenation entails modalities that require direct physician involvement, such as neuromodulators, filler injections, laser resurfacing, microdermabrasion, and chemical peels. With the successful integration of each of these modalities, a complete facial regimen can be established and patient satisfaction can be maximized. This article is the first in a three-part series describing noninvasive facial rejuvenation. The authors focus on patient-directed facial rejuvenation. It is important, however, to emphasize that even in a patient-directed modality, a physician's involvement through education and guidance is integral to its success. PMID:27478421

Motion correction for improved estimation of heart rate using a visual spectrum camera

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tarbox, Elizabeth A.; Rios, Christian; Kaur, Balvinder; Meyer, Shaun; Hirt, Lauren; Tran, Vy; Scott, Kaitlyn; Ikonomidou, Vasiliki

2017-05-01

Heart rate measurement using a visual spectrum recording of the face has drawn interest over the last few years as a technology that can have various health and security applications. In our previous work, we have shown that it is possible to estimate the heart beat timing accurately enough to perform heart rate variability analysis for contactless stress detection. However, a major confounding factor in this approach is the presence of movement, which can interfere with the measurements. To mitigate the effects of movement, in this work we propose the use of face detection and tracking based on the Karhunen-Loewe algorithm in order to counteract measurement errors introduced by normal subject motion, as expected during a common seated conversation setting. We analyze the requirements on image acquisition for the algorithm to work, and its performance under different ranges of motion, changes of distance to the camera, as well and the effect of illumination changes due to different positioning with respect to light sources on the acquired signal. Our results suggest that the effect of face tracking on visual-spectrum based cardiac signal estimation depends on the amplitude of the motion. While for larger-scale conversation-induced motion it can significantly improve estimation accuracy, with smaller-scale movements, such as the ones caused by breathing or talking without major movement errors in facial tracking may interfere with signal estimation. Overall, employing facial tracking is a crucial step in adapting this technology to real-life situations with satisfactory results.

Pediatric facial injuries: It's management.

PubMed

Singh, Geeta; Mohammad, Shadab; Pal, U S; Hariram; Malkunje, Laxman R; Singh, Nimisha

2011-07-01

Facial injuries in children always present a challenge in respect of their diagnosis and management. Since these children are of a growing age every care should be taken so that later the overall growth pattern of the facial skeleton in these children is not jeopardized. To access the most feasible method for the management of facial injuries in children without hampering the facial growth. Sixty child patients with facial trauma were selected randomly for this study. On the basis of examination and investigations a suitable management approach involving rest and observation, open or closed reduction and immobilization, trans-osseous (TO) wiring, mini bone plate fixation, splinting and replantation, elevation and fixation of zygoma, etc. were carried out. In our study fall was the predominant cause for most of the facial injuries in children. There was a 1.09% incidence of facial injuries in children up to 16 years of age amongst the total patients. The age-wise distribution of the fracture amongst groups (I, II and III) was found to be 26.67%, 51.67% and 21.67% respectively. Male to female patient ratio was 3:1. The majority of the cases of facial injuries were seen in Group II patients (6-11 years) i.e. 51.67%. The mandibular fracture was found to be the most common fracture (0.60%) followed by dentoalveolar (0.27%), mandibular + midface (0.07) and midface (0.02%) fractures. Most of the mandibular fractures were found in the parasymphysis region. Simple fracture seems to be commonest in the mandible. Most of the mandibular and midface fractures in children were amenable to conservative therapies except a few which required surgical intervention.

Holistic face processing can inhibit recognition of forensic facial composites.

PubMed

McIntyre, Alex H; Hancock, Peter J B; Frowd, Charlie D; Langton, Stephen R H

2016-04-01

Facial composite systems help eyewitnesses to show the appearance of criminals. However, likenesses created by unfamiliar witnesses will not be completely accurate, and people familiar with the target can find them difficult to identify. Faces are processed holistically; we explore whether this impairs identification of inaccurate composite images and whether recognition can be improved. In Experiment 1 (n = 64) an imaging technique was used to make composites of celebrity faces more accurate and identification was contrasted with the original composite images. Corrected composites were better recognized, confirming that errors in production of the likenesses impair identification. The influence of holistic face processing was explored by misaligning the top and bottom parts of the composites (cf. Young, Hellawell, & Hay, 1987). Misalignment impaired recognition of corrected composites but identification of the original, inaccurate composites significantly improved. This effect was replicated with facial composites of noncelebrities in Experiment 2 (n = 57). We conclude that, like real faces, facial composites are processed holistically: recognition is impaired because unlike real faces, composites contain inaccuracies and holistic face processing makes it difficult to perceive identifiable features. This effect was consistent across composites of celebrities and composites of people who are personally familiar. Our findings suggest that identification of forensic facial composites can be enhanced by presenting composites in a misaligned format. (c) 2016 APA, all rights reserved).

Drug effects on responses to emotional facial expressions: recent findings

PubMed Central

Miller, Melissa A.; Bershad, Anya K.; de Wit, Harriet

2016-01-01

Many psychoactive drugs increase social behavior and enhance social interactions, which may, in turn, increase their attractiveness to users. Although the psychological mechanisms by which drugs affect social behavior are not fully understood, there is some evidence that drugs alter the perception of emotions in others. Drugs can affect the ability to detect, attend to, and respond to emotional facial expressions, which in turn may influence their use in social settings. Either increased reactivity to positive expressions or decreased response to negative expressions may facilitate social interaction. This article reviews evidence that psychoactive drugs alter the processing of emotional facial expressions using subjective, behavioral, and physiological measures. The findings lay the groundwork for better understanding how drugs alter social processing and social behavior more generally. PMID:26226144

Drug effects on responses to emotional facial expressions: recent findings.

PubMed

Miller, Melissa A; Bershad, Anya K; de Wit, Harriet

2015-09-01

Many psychoactive drugs increase social behavior and enhance social interactions, which may, in turn, increase their attractiveness to users. Although the psychological mechanisms by which drugs affect social behavior are not fully understood, there is some evidence that drugs alter the perception of emotions in others. Drugs can affect the ability to detect, attend to, and respond to emotional facial expressions, which in turn may influence their use in social settings. Either increased reactivity to positive expressions or decreased response to negative expressions may facilitate social interaction. This article reviews evidence that psychoactive drugs alter the processing of emotional facial expressions using subjective, behavioral, and physiological measures. The findings lay the groundwork for better understanding how drugs alter social processing and social behavior more generally.

Complications in Pediatric Facial Fractures

PubMed Central

Chao, Mimi T.; Losee, Joseph E.

2009-01-01

Despite recent advances in the diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of pediatric facial fractures, little has been published on the complications of these fractures. The existing literature is highly variable regarding both the definition and the reporting of adverse events. Although the incidence of pediatric facial fractures is relative low, they are strongly associated with other serious injuries. Both the fractures and their treatment may have long-term consequence on growth and development of the immature face. This article is a selective review of the literature on facial fracture complications with special emphasis on the complications unique to pediatric patients. We also present our classification system to evaluate adverse outcomes associated with pediatric facial fractures. Prospective, long-term studies are needed to fully understand and appreciate the complexity of treating children with facial fractures and determining the true incidence, subsequent growth, and nature of their complications. PMID:22110803

Evaluation of facial attractiveness in black people according to the subjective facial analysis criteria.

PubMed

Melo, Andréa Reis de; Conti, Ana Cláudia de Castro Ferreira; Almeida-Pedrin, Renata Rodrigues; Didier, Victor; Valarelli, Danilo Pinelli; Capelozza Filho, Leopoldino

2017-02-01

The objective of this study was to evaluate the facial attractiveness in 30 black individuals, according to the Subjective Facial Analysis criteria. Frontal and profile view photographs of 30 black individuals were evaluated for facial attractiveness and classified as esthetically unpleasant, acceptable, or pleasant by 50 evaluators: the 30 individuals from the sample, 10 orthodontists, and 10 laymen. Besides assessing the facial attractiveness, the evaluators had to identify the structures responsible for the classification as unpleasant and pleasant. Intraexaminer agreement was assessed by using Spearman's correlation, correlation within each category using Kendall concordance coefficient, and correlation between the 3 categories using chi-square test and proportions. Most of the frontal (53. 5%) and profile view (54. 9%) photographs were classified as esthetically acceptable. The structures most identified as esthetically unpleasant were the mouth, lips, and face, in the frontal view; and nose and chin in the profile view. The structures most identified as esthetically pleasant were harmony, face, and mouth, in the frontal view; and harmony and nose in the profile view. The ratings by the examiners in the sample and laymen groups showed statistically significant correlation in both views. The orthodontists agreed with the laymen on the evaluation of the frontal view and disagreed on profile view, especially regarding whether the images were esthetically unpleasant or acceptable. Based on these results, the evaluation of facial attractiveness according to the Subjective Facial Analysis criteria proved to be applicable and to have a subjective influence; therefore, it is suggested that the patient's opinion regarding the facial esthetics should be considered in orthodontic treatmentplanning.

Dynamic Facial Expressions Prime the Processing of Emotional Prosody.

PubMed

Garrido-Vásquez, Patricia; Pell, Marc D; Paulmann, Silke; Kotz, Sonja A

2018-01-01

Evidence suggests that emotion is represented supramodally in the human brain. Emotional facial expressions, which often precede vocally expressed emotion in real life, can modulate event-related potentials (N100 and P200) during emotional prosody processing. To investigate these cross-modal emotional interactions, two lines of research have been put forward: cross-modal integration and cross-modal priming. In cross-modal integration studies, visual and auditory channels are temporally aligned, while in priming studies they are presented consecutively. Here we used cross-modal emotional priming to study the interaction of dynamic visual and auditory emotional information. Specifically, we presented dynamic facial expressions (angry, happy, neutral) as primes and emotionally-intoned pseudo-speech sentences (angry, happy) as targets. We were interested in how prime-target congruency would affect early auditory event-related potentials, i.e., N100 and P200, in order to shed more light on how dynamic facial information is used in cross-modal emotional prediction. Results showed enhanced N100 amplitudes for incongruently primed compared to congruently and neutrally primed emotional prosody, while the latter two conditions did not significantly differ. However, N100 peak latency was significantly delayed in the neutral condition compared to the other two conditions. Source reconstruction revealed that the right parahippocampal gyrus was activated in incongruent compared to congruent trials in the N100 time window. No significant ERP effects were observed in the P200 range. Our results indicate that dynamic facial expressions influence vocal emotion processing at an early point in time, and that an emotional mismatch between a facial expression and its ensuing vocal emotional signal induces additional processing costs in the brain, potentially because the cross-modal emotional prediction mechanism is violated in case of emotional prime-target incongruency.

The Effects of Using the Kinect Motion-Sensing Interactive System to Enhance English Learning for Elementary Students

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Pan, Wen Fu

2017-01-01

The objective of this study was to test whether the Kinect motion-sensing interactive system (KMIS) enhanced students' English vocabulary learning, while also comparing the system's effectiveness against a traditional computer-mouse interface. Both interfaces utilized an interactive game with a questioning strategy. One-hundred and twenty…

Operant conditioning of facial displays of pain.

PubMed

Kunz, Miriam; Rainville, Pierre; Lautenbacher, Stefan

2011-06-01

The operant model of chronic pain posits that nonverbal pain behavior, such as facial expressions, is sensitive to reinforcement, but experimental evidence supporting this assumption is sparse. The aim of the present study was to investigate in a healthy population a) whether facial pain behavior can indeed be operantly conditioned using a discriminative reinforcement schedule to increase and decrease facial pain behavior and b) to what extent these changes affect pain experience indexed by self-ratings. In the experimental group (n = 29), the participants were reinforced every time that they showed pain-indicative facial behavior (up-conditioning) or a neutral expression (down-conditioning) in response to painful heat stimulation. Once facial pain behavior was successfully up- or down-conditioned, respectively (which occurred in 72% of participants), facial pain displays and self-report ratings were assessed. In addition, a control group (n = 11) was used that was yoked to the reinforcement plans of the experimental group. During the conditioning phases, reinforcement led to significant changes in facial pain behavior in the majority of the experimental group (p < .001) but not in the yoked control group (p > .136). Fine-grained analyses of facial muscle movements revealed a similar picture. Furthermore, the decline in facial pain displays (as observed during down-conditioning) strongly predicted changes in pain ratings (R(2) = 0.329). These results suggest that a) facial pain displays are sensitive to reinforcement and b) that changes in facial pain displays can affect self-report ratings.

Artistic shaping of key facial features in children and adolescents.

PubMed

Sullivan, P K; Singer, D P

2001-12-01

Facial aesthetics can be enhanced by otoplasty, rhinoplasty and genioplasty. Excellent outcomes can be obtained given appropriate timing, patient selection, preoperative planning, and artistic sculpting of the region with the appropriate surgical technique. Choosing a patient with mature psychological, developmental, and anatomic features that are amenable to treatment in the pediatric population can be challenging, yet rewarding.

Priming with real motion biases visual cortical response to bistable apparent motion

PubMed Central

Zhang, Qing-fang; Wen, Yunqing; Zhang, Deng; She, Liang; Wu, Jian-young; Dan, Yang; Poo, Mu-ming

2012-01-01

Apparent motion quartet is an ambiguous stimulus that elicits bistable perception, with the perceived motion alternating between two orthogonal paths. In human psychophysical experiments, the probability of perceiving motion in each path is greatly enhanced by a brief exposure to real motion along that path. To examine the neural mechanism underlying this priming effect, we used voltage-sensitive dye (VSD) imaging to measure the spatiotemporal activity in the primary visual cortex (V1) of awake mice. We found that a brief real motion stimulus transiently biased the cortical response to subsequent apparent motion toward the spatiotemporal pattern representing the real motion. Furthermore, intracellular recording from V1 neurons in anesthetized mice showed a similar increase in subthreshold depolarization in the neurons representing the path of real motion. Such short-term plasticity in early visual circuits may contribute to the priming effect in bistable visual perception. PMID:23188797

Facial Displays Are Tools for Social Influence.

PubMed

Crivelli, Carlos; Fridlund, Alan J

2018-05-01

Based on modern theories of signal evolution and animal communication, the behavioral ecology view of facial displays (BECV) reconceives our 'facial expressions of emotion' as social tools that serve as lead signs to contingent action in social negotiation. BECV offers an externalist, functionalist view of facial displays that is not bound to Western conceptions about either expressions or emotions. It easily accommodates recent findings of diversity in facial displays, their public context-dependency, and the curious but common occurrence of solitary facial behavior. Finally, BECV restores continuity of human facial behavior research with modern functional accounts of non-human communication, and provides a non-mentalistic account of facial displays well-suited to new developments in artificial intelligence and social robotics. Copyright © 2018 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.

Oral motor and electromyographic characterization of adults with facial fractures: a comparison between different fracture severities.

PubMed

da Silva, Amanda Pagliotto; Sassi, Fernanda Chiarion; Bastos, Endrigo; Alonso, Nivaldo; de Andrade, Claudia Regina Furquim

2017-05-01

To characterize the oral motor system of adults with facial injuries and to compare the oral motor performance/function between two different groups. An observational, descriptive, cross-sectional study was conducted in 38 patients presenting with facial trauma who were assigned to the Division of Orofacial Myology of a Brazilian School Hospital. Patients were divided into two groups: Group 1 (G1) consisted of 19 patients who were submitted to open reduction of at least one facial fracture, and Group 2 (G2) consisted of 19 individuals who were submitted to closed fracture reduction with maxillomandibular fixation. For comparison purposes, a group of 19 healthy volunteers was recruited. All participants underwent a clinical assessment that included an oral motor evaluation, assessment of the mandibular range of motions, and electromyographic assessment of the masticatory muscles. Clinical assessment of the oral motor organs indicated that G1 and G2 presented deficits related to the posture, position, and mobility of the oral motor organs. Patients also presented limited mandibular ranges of movement. Deficits were greater for individuals in G1, especially for maximal incisor opening. Additionally, patients in G1 and G2 presented a similar electromyographic profile of the masticatory muscles (i.e., patients with facial fractures presented lower overall muscle activity and significant asymmetrical activity of the masseter muscle during maximum voluntary teeth clenching). Patients in G1 and G2 presented similar functional deficits after fracture treatment. The severity of facial fractures did not influence muscle function/performance 4 months after the correction of fractures.

Oral motor and electromyographic characterization of adults with facial fractures: a comparison between different fracture severities

PubMed Central

da Silva, Amanda Pagliotto; Sassi, Fernanda Chiarion; Bastos, Endrigo; Alonso, Nivaldo; de Andrade, Claudia Regina Furquim

2017-01-01

OBJECTIVES: To characterize the oral motor system of adults with facial injuries and to compare the oral motor performance/function between two different groups. METHODS: An observational, descriptive, cross-sectional study was conducted in 38 patients presenting with facial trauma who were assigned to the Division of Orofacial Myology of a Brazilian School Hospital. Patients were divided into two groups: Group 1 (G1) consisted of 19 patients who were submitted to open reduction of at least one facial fracture, and Group 2 (G2) consisted of 19 individuals who were submitted to closed fracture reduction with maxillomandibular fixation. For comparison purposes, a group of 19 healthy volunteers was recruited. All participants underwent a clinical assessment that included an oral motor evaluation, assessment of the mandibular range of motions, and electromyographic assessment of the masticatory muscles. RESULTS: Clinical assessment of the oral motor organs indicated that G1 and G2 presented deficits related to the posture, position, and mobility of the oral motor organs. Patients also presented limited mandibular ranges of movement. Deficits were greater for individuals in G1, especially for maximal incisor opening. Additionally, patients in G1 and G2 presented a similar electromyographic profile of the masticatory muscles (i.e., patients with facial fractures presented lower overall muscle activity and significant asymmetrical activity of the masseter muscle during maximum voluntary teeth clenching). CONCLUSION: Patients in G1 and G2 presented similar functional deficits after fracture treatment. The severity of facial fractures did not influence muscle function/performance 4 months after the correction of fractures. PMID:28591339

Facial nerve paralysis secondary to occult malignant neoplasms.

PubMed

Boahene, Derek O; Olsen, Kerry D; Driscoll, Colin; Lewis, Jean E; McDonald, Thomas J

2004-04-01

This study reviewed patients with unilateral facial paralysis and normal clinical and imaging findings who underwent diagnostic facial nerve exploration. Study design and setting Fifteen patients with facial paralysis and normal findings were seen in the Mayo Clinic Department of Otorhinolaryngology. Eleven patients were misdiagnosed as having Bell palsy or idiopathic paralysis. Progressive facial paralysis with sequential involvement of adjacent facial nerve branches occurred in all 15 patients. Seven patients had a history of regional skin squamous cell carcinoma, 13 patients had surgical exploration to rule out a neoplastic process, and 2 patients had negative exploration. At last follow-up, 5 patients were alive. Patients with facial paralysis and normal clinical and imaging findings should be considered for facial nerve exploration when the patient has a history of pain or regional skin cancer, involvement of other cranial nerves, and prolonged facial paralysis. Occult malignancy of the facial nerve may cause unilateral facial paralysis in patients with normal clinical and imaging findings.

Hypereosinophilia and acute bilateral facial palsy: an unusual presentation of a common disease.

PubMed

Webb, Alastair John Stewart; Conlon, Chris; Briley, Dennis

2012-10-01

A 60-year-old man presented with an acute, pruritic, erythematous rash associated with marked hypereosinophilia (2.34×10(9)/l (0.04-0.40)). There was eosinophilic infiltration on hepatic, bone marrow and lymph node biopsies, with multiple lung nodules and mild splenomegaly. However, extensive investigation excluded parasitic or bacterial causes, specific allergens or the Fip1L1 mutation seen in myeloproliferative hypereosinophilia. Six months into the illness, he developed an acute, left, complete lower motor neurone facial palsy over hours, and an acute right lower motor neurone facial palsy 2 weeks later, without recovery. Over the subsequent 3 months, he developed complex partial seizures, a transient 72-h non-epileptic encephalopathy and episodic vertigo with ataxia. Further investigation showed bilateral enhancement of the VII nerves and labyrinthis on gadolinium-enhanced MR brain scan, cerebrospinal fluid lymphocytosis and neurophysiological evidence of polyradicolopathy. His eosinophil count fell with corticosteroids, hydroxycarbamide, imatinib and ultimately mepolezumab, but without symptomatic improvement. Repeat lymph node biopsy showed Kaposi's sarcoma, leading to a diagnosis of HIV-1 infection with a modestly reduced CD4 count of 413×10(6)/l (430-1690). Hypereosinophila and eosinophilic folliculitis are recognised features of advanced HIV infection, and transient bilateral facial palsy occasionally occurs at the time of seroconversion. This is the first report of a chronic bilateral facial palsy likely due to primary HIV infection, not occurring during seroconversion and in association with hypereosinophilia. This case emphasises the protean manifestations of HIV infection and the need for routine testing in atypical clinical presentations.

Transient Severe Motion Artifact Related to Gadoxetate Disodium-Enhanced Liver MRI: Frequency and Risk Evaluation at a German Institution.

PubMed

Well, Lennart; Rausch, Vanessa Hanna; Adam, Gerhard; Henes, Frank Oliver; Bannas, Peter

2017-07-01

Purpose  Varying frequencies (5 - 18 %) of contrast-related transient severe motion (TSM) imaging artifacts during gadoxetate disodium-enhanced arterial phase liver MRI have been reported. Since previous reports originated from the United States and Japan, we aimed to determine the frequency of TSM at a German institution and to correlate it with potential risk factors and previously published results. Materials and Methods  Two age- and sex-matched groups were retrospectively selected (gadoxetate disodium n = 89; gadobenate dimeglumine n = 89) from dynamic contrast-enhanced MRI examinations in a single center. Respiratory motion-related artifacts in non-enhanced and dynamic phases were assessed independently by two readers blinded to contrast agents on a 4-point scale. Scores of ≥ 3 were considered as severe motion artifacts. Severe motion artifacts in arterial phases were considered as TSM if scores in all other phases were < 3. Potential risk factors for TSM were evaluated via logistic regression analysis. Results  For gadoxetate disodium, the mean score for respiratory motion artifacts was significantly higher in the arterial phase (2.2 ± 0.9) compared to all other phases (1.6 ± 0.7) (p < 0.05). The frequency of TSM was significantly higher with gadoxetate disodium (n = 19; 21.1 %) than with gadobenate dimeglumine (n = 1; 1.1 %) (p < 0.001). The frequency of TSM at our institution is similar to some, but not all previously published findings. Logistic regression analysis did not show any significant correlation between TSM and risk factors (all p > 0.05). Conclusion  We revealed a high frequency of TSM after injection of gadoxetate disodium at a German institution, substantiating the importance of a diagnosis-limiting phenomenon that so far has only been reported from the United States and Japan. In accordance with previous studies, we did not identify associated risk factors for TSM. Key Points: �

Pediatric facial injuries: It's management

PubMed Central

Singh, Geeta; Mohammad, Shadab; Pal, U. S.; Hariram; Malkunje, Laxman R.; Singh, Nimisha

2011-01-01

Background: Facial injuries in children always present a challenge in respect of their diagnosis and management. Since these children are of a growing age every care should be taken so that later the overall growth pattern of the facial skeleton in these children is not jeopardized. Purpose: To access the most feasible method for the management of facial injuries in children without hampering the facial growth. Materials and Methods: Sixty child patients with facial trauma were selected randomly for this study. On the basis of examination and investigations a suitable management approach involving rest and observation, open or closed reduction and immobilization, trans-osseous (TO) wiring, mini bone plate fixation, splinting and replantation, elevation and fixation of zygoma, etc. were carried out. Results and Conclusion: In our study fall was the predominant cause for most of the facial injuries in children. There was a 1.09% incidence of facial injuries in children up to 16 years of age amongst the total patients. The age-wise distribution of the fracture amongst groups (I, II and III) was found to be 26.67%, 51.67% and 21.67% respectively. Male to female patient ratio was 3:1. The majority of the cases of facial injuries were seen in Group II patients (6-11 years) i.e. 51.67%. The mandibular fracture was found to be the most common fracture (0.60%) followed by dentoalveolar (0.27%), mandibular + midface (0.07) and midface (0.02%) fractures. Most of the mandibular fractures were found in the parasymphysis region. Simple fracture seems to be commonest in the mandible. Most of the mandibular and midface fractures in children were amenable to conservative therapies except a few which required surgical intervention. PMID:22639504

Nonrigid motion compensation in B-mode and contrast enhanced ultrasound image sequences of the carotid artery

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Carvalho, Diego D. B.; Akkus, Zeynettin; Bosch, Johan G.; van den Oord, Stijn C. H.; Niessen, Wiro J.; Klein, Stefan

2014-03-01

In this work, we investigate nonrigid motion compensation in simultaneously acquired (side-by-side) B-mode ultrasound (BMUS) and contrast enhanced ultrasound (CEUS) image sequences of the carotid artery. These images are acquired to study the presence of intraplaque neovascularization (IPN), which is a marker of plaque vulnerability. IPN quantification is visualized by performing the maximum intensity projection (MIP) on the CEUS image sequence over time. As carotid images contain considerable motion, accurate global nonrigid motion compensation (GNMC) is required prior to the MIP. Moreover, we demonstrate that an improved lumen and plaque differentiation can be obtained by averaging the motion compensated BMUS images over time. We propose to use a previously published 2D+t nonrigid registration method, which is based on minimization of pixel intensity variance over time, using a spatially and temporally smooth B-spline deformation model. The validation compares displacements of plaque points with manual trackings by 3 experts in 11 carotids. The average (+/- standard deviation) root mean square error (RMSE) was 99+/-74μm for longitudinal and 47+/-18μm for radial displacements. These results were comparable with the interobserver variability, and with results of a local rigid registration technique based on speckle tracking, which estimates motion in a single point, whereas our approach applies motion compensation to the entire image. In conclusion, we evaluated that the GNMC technique produces reliable results. Since this technique tracks global deformations, it can aid in the quantification of IPN and the delineation of lumen and plaque contours.

Effect of facial neuromuscular re-education on facial symmetry in patients with Bell's palsy: a randomized controlled trial.

PubMed

Manikandan, N

2007-04-01

To determine the effect of facial neuromuscular re-education over conventional therapeutic measures in improving facial symmetry in patients with Bell's palsy. Randomized controlled trial. Neurorehabilitation unit. Fifty-nine patients diagnosed with Bell's palsy were included in the study after they met the inclusion criteria. Patients were randomly divided into two groups: control (n = 30) and experimental (n = 29). Control group patients received conventional therapeutic measures while the facial neuromuscular re-education group patients received techniques that were tailored to each patient in three sessions per day for six days per week for a period of two weeks. All the patients were evaluated using a Facial Grading Scale before treatment and after three months. The Facial Grading Scale scores showed significant improvement in both control (mean 32 (range 9.7-54) to 54.5 (42.2-71.7)) and the experimental (33 (18-43.5) to 66 (54-76.7)) group. Facial Grading Scale change scores showed that experimental group (27.5 (20-43.77)) improved significantly more than the control group (16.5 (12.2-24.7)). Analysis of Facial Grading Scale subcomponents did not show statistical significance, except in the movement score (12 (8-16) to 24 (12-18)). Individualized facial neuromuscular re-education is more effective in improving facial symmetry in patients with Bell's palsy than conventional therapeutic measures.

Use of a Y-tube conduit after facial nerve injury reduces collateral axonal branching at the lesion site but neither reduces polyinnervation of motor endplates nor improves functional recovery.

PubMed

Hizay, Arzu; Ozsoy, Umut; Demirel, Bahadir Murat; Ozsoy, Ozlem; Angelova, Srebrina K; Ankerne, Janina; Sarikcioglu, Sureyya Bilmen; Dunlop, Sarah A; Angelov, Doychin N; Sarikcioglu, Levent

2012-06-01

Despite increased understanding of peripheral nerve regeneration, functional recovery after surgical repair remains disappointing. A major contributing factor is the extensive collateral branching at the lesion site, which leads to inaccurate axonal navigation and aberrant reinnervation of targets. To determine whether the Y tube reconstruction improved axonal regrowth and whether this was associated with improved function. We used a Y-tube conduit with the aim of improving navigation of regenerating axons after facial nerve transection in rats. Retrograde labeling from the zygomatic and buccal branches showed a halving in the number of double-labeled facial motor neurons (15% vs 8%; P < .05) after Y tube reconstruction compared with facial-facial anastomosis coaptation. However, in both surgical groups, the proportion of polyinnervated motor endplates was similar (≈ 30%; P > .05), and video-based motion analysis of whisking revealed similarly poor function. Although Y-tube reconstruction decreases axonal branching at the lesion site and improves axonal navigation compared with facial-facial anastomosis coaptation, it fails to promote monoinnervation of motor endplates and confers no functional benefit.

Forensic Facial Reconstruction: The Final Frontier.

PubMed

Gupta, Sonia; Gupta, Vineeta; Vij, Hitesh; Vij, Ruchieka; Tyagi, Nutan

2015-09-01

Forensic facial reconstruction can be used to identify unknown human remains when other techniques fail. Through this article, we attempt to review the different methods of facial reconstruction reported in literature. There are several techniques of doing facial reconstruction, which vary from two dimensional drawings to three dimensional clay models. With the advancement in 3D technology, a rapid, efficient and cost effective computerized 3D forensic facial reconstruction method has been developed which has brought down the degree of error previously encountered. There are several methods of manual facial reconstruction but the combination Manchester method has been reported to be the best and most accurate method for the positive recognition of an individual. Recognition allows the involved government agencies to make a list of suspected victims'. This list can then be narrowed down and a positive identification may be given by the more conventional method of forensic medicine. Facial reconstruction allows visual identification by the individual's family and associates to become easy and more definite.

Perceived functional impact of abnormal facial appearance.

PubMed

Rankin, Marlene; Borah, Gregory L

2003-06-01

Functional facial deformities are usually described as those that impair respiration, eating, hearing, or speech. Yet facial scars and cutaneous deformities have a significant negative effect on social functionality that has been poorly documented in the scientific literature. Insurance companies are declining payments for reconstructive surgical procedures for facial deformities caused by congenital disabilities and after cancer or trauma operations that do not affect mechanical facial activity. The purpose of this study was to establish a large, sample-based evaluation of the perceived social functioning, interpersonal characteristics, and employability indices for a range of facial appearances (normal and abnormal). Adult volunteer evaluators (n = 210) provided their subjective perceptions based on facial physical appearance, and an analysis of the consequences of facial deformity on parameters of preferential treatment was performed. A two-group comparative research design rated the differences among 10 examples of digitally altered facial photographs of actual patients among various age and ethnic groups with "normal" and "abnormal" congenital deformities or posttrauma scars. Photographs of adult patients with observable congenital and posttraumatic deformities (abnormal) were digitally retouched to eliminate the stigmatic defects (normal). The normal and abnormal photographs of identical patients were evaluated by the large sample study group on nine parameters of social functioning, such as honesty, employability, attractiveness, and effectiveness, using a visual analogue rating scale. Patients with abnormal facial characteristics were rated as significantly less honest (p = 0.007), less employable (p = 0.001), less trustworthy (p = 0.01), less optimistic (p = 0.001), less effective (p = 0.02), less capable (p = 0.002), less intelligent (p = 0.03), less popular (p = 0.001), and less attractive (p = 0.001) than were the same patients with normal facial

Cranio-facial clefts in pre-hispanic America.

PubMed

Marius-Nunez, A L; Wasiak, D T

2015-10-01

Among the representations of congenital malformations in Moche ceramic art, cranio-facial clefts have been portrayed in pottery found in Moche burials. These pottery vessels were used as domestic items during lifetime and funerary offerings upon death. The aim of this study was to examine archeological evidence for representations of cranio-facial cleft malformations in Moche vessels. Pottery depicting malformations of the midface in Moche collections in Lima-Peru were studied. The malformations portrayed on pottery were analyzed using the Tessier classification. Photographs were authorized by the Larco Museo.Three vessels were observed to have median cranio-facial dysraphia in association with midline cleft of the lower lip with cleft of the mandible. ML001489 portrays a median cranio-facial dysraphia with an orbital cleft and a midline cleft of the lower lip extending to the mandible. ML001514 represents a median facial dysraphia in association with an orbital facial cleft and a vertical orbital dystopia. ML001491 illustrates a median facial cleft with a soft tissue cleft. Three cases of midline, orbital and lateral facial clefts have been portrayed in Moche full-figure portrait vessels. They represent the earliest registries of congenital cranio-facial malformations in ancient Peru. © 2015 John Wiley & Sons A/S. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Statistical prediction of space motion sickness

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Reschke, Millard F.

1990-01-01

Studies designed to empirically examine the etiology of motion sickness to develop a foundation for enhancing its prediction are discussed. Topics addressed include early attempts to predict space motion sickness, multiple test data base that uses provocative and vestibular function tests, and data base subjects; reliability of provocative tests of motion sickness susceptibility; prediction of space motion sickness using linear discriminate analysis; and prediction of space motion sickness susceptibility using the logistic model.

Three-dimensional analysis of facial morphology.

PubMed

Liu, Yun; Kau, Chung How; Talbert, Leslie; Pan, Feng

2014-09-01

The objectives of this study were to evaluate sexual dimorphism for facial features within Chinese and African American populations and to compare the facial morphology by sex between these 2 populations. Three-dimensional facial images were acquired by using the portable 3dMDface System, which captured 189 subjects from 2 population groups of Chinese (n = 72) and African American (n = 117). Each population was categorized into male and female groups for evaluation. All subjects in the groups were aged between 18 and 30 years and had no apparent facial anomalies. A total of 23 anthropometric landmarks were identified on the three-dimensional faces of each subject. Twenty-one measurements in 4 regions, including 19 distances and 2 angles, were not only calculated but also compared within and between the Chinese and African American populations. The Student's t-test was used to analyze each data set obtained within each subgroup. Distinct facial differences were presented between the examined subgroups. When comparing the sex differences of facial morphology in the Chinese population, significant differences were noted in 71.43% of the parameters calculated, and the same proportion was found in the African American group. The facial morphologic differences between the Chinese and African American populations were evaluated by sex. The proportion of significant differences in the parameters calculated was 90.48% for females and 95.24% for males between the 2 populations. The African American population had a more convex profile and greater face width than those of the Chinese population. Sexual dimorphism for facial features was presented in both the Chinese and African American populations. In addition, there were significant differences in facial morphology between these 2 populations.

Enhancement of Brownian motion for a chain of particles in a periodic potential

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dessup, Tommy; Coste, Christophe; Saint Jean, Michel

2018-02-01

The transport of particles in very confined channels in which single file diffusion occurs has been largely studied in systems where the transverse confining potential is smooth. However, in actual physical systems, this potential may exhibit both static corrugations and time fluctuations. Some recent results suggest the important role played by this nonsmoothness of the confining potential. In particular, quite surprisingly, an enhancement of the Brownian motion of the particles has been evidenced in these kinds of systems. We show that this enhancement results from the commensurate effects induced by the underlying potential on the vibrational spectra of the chain of particles, and from the effective temperature associated with its time fluctuations. We will restrict our derivation to the case of low temperatures for which the mean squared displacement of the particles remains smaller than the potential period.

Intact anger recognition in depression despite aberrant visual facial information usage.

PubMed

Clark, Cameron M; Chiu, Carina G; Diaz, Ruth L; Goghari, Vina M

2014-08-01

Previous literature has indicated abnormalities in facial emotion recognition abilities, as well as deficits in basic visual processes in major depression. However, the literature is unclear on a number of important factors including whether or not these abnormalities represent deficient or enhanced emotion recognition abilities compared to control populations, and the degree to which basic visual deficits might impact this process. The present study investigated emotion recognition abilities for angry versus neutral facial expressions in a sample of undergraduate students with Beck Depression Inventory-II (BDI-II) scores indicative of moderate depression (i.e., ≥20), compared to matched low-BDI-II score (i.e., ≤2) controls via the Bubbles Facial Emotion Perception Task. Results indicated unimpaired behavioural performance in discriminating angry from neutral expressions in the high depressive symptoms group relative to the minimal depressive symptoms group, despite evidence of an abnormal pattern of visual facial information usage. The generalizability of the current findings is limited by the highly structured nature of the facial emotion recognition task used, as well as the use of an analog sample undergraduates scoring high in self-rated symptoms of depression rather than a clinical sample. Our findings suggest that basic visual processes are involved in emotion recognition abnormalities in depression, demonstrating consistency with the emotion recognition literature in other psychopathologies (e.g., schizophrenia, autism, social anxiety). Future research should seek to replicate these findings in clinical populations with major depression, and assess the association between aberrant face gaze behaviours and symptom severity and social functioning. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Recognizing Action Units for Facial Expression Analysis

PubMed Central

Tian, Ying-li; Kanade, Takeo; Cohn, Jeffrey F.

2010-01-01

Most automatic expression analysis systems attempt to recognize a small set of prototypic expressions, such as happiness, anger, surprise, and fear. Such prototypic expressions, however, occur rather infrequently. Human emotions and intentions are more often communicated by changes in one or a few discrete facial features. In this paper, we develop an Automatic Face Analysis (AFA) system to analyze facial expressions based on both permanent facial features (brows, eyes, mouth) and transient facial features (deepening of facial furrows) in a nearly frontal-view face image sequence. The AFA system recognizes fine-grained changes in facial expression into action units (AUs) of the Facial Action Coding System (FACS), instead of a few prototypic expressions. Multistate face and facial component models are proposed for tracking and modeling the various facial features, including lips, eyes, brows, cheeks, and furrows. During tracking, detailed parametric descriptions of the facial features are extracted. With these parameters as the inputs, a group of action units (neutral expression, six upper face AUs and 10 lower face AUs) are recognized whether they occur alone or in combinations. The system has achieved average recognition rates of 96.4 percent (95.4 percent if neutral expressions are excluded) for upper face AUs and 96.7 percent (95.6 percent with neutral expressions excluded) for lower face AUs. The generalizability of the system has been tested by using independent image databases collected and FACS-coded for ground-truth by different research teams. PMID:25210210

[Surgical treatment in otogenic facial nerve palsy].

PubMed

Feng, Guo-Dong; Gao, Zhi-Qiang; Zhai, Meng-Yao; Lü, Wei; Qi, Fang; Jiang, Hong; Zha, Yang; Shen, Peng

2008-06-01

To study the character of facial nerve palsy due to four different auris diseases including chronic otitis media, Hunt syndrome, tumor and physical or chemical factors, and to discuss the principles of the surgical management of otogenic facial nerve palsy. The clinical characters of 24 patients with otogenic facial nerve palsy because of the four different auris diseases were retrospectively analyzed, all the cases were performed surgical management from October 1991 to March 2007. Facial nerve function was evaluated with House-Brackmann (HB) grading system. The 24 patients including 10 males and 14 females were analysis, of whom 12 cases due to cholesteatoma, 3 cases due to chronic otitis media, 3 cases due to Hunt syndrome, 2 cases resulted from acute otitis media, 2 cases due to physical or chemical factors and 2 cases due to tumor. All cases were treated with operations included facial nerve decompression, lesion resection with facial nerve decompression and lesion resection without facial nerve decompression, 1 patient's facial nerve was resected because of the tumor. According to HB grade system, I degree recovery was attained in 4 cases, while II degree in 10 cases, III degree in 6 cases, IV degree in 2 cases, V degree in 2 cases and VI degree in 1 case. Removing the lesions completely was the basic factor to the surgery of otogenic facial palsy, moreover, it was important to have facial nerve decompression soon after lesion removal.

Facial identity and facial expression are initially integrated at visual perceptual stages of face processing.

PubMed

Fisher, Katie; Towler, John; Eimer, Martin

2016-01-08

It is frequently assumed that facial identity and facial expression are analysed in functionally and anatomically distinct streams within the core visual face processing system. To investigate whether expression and identity interact during the visual processing of faces, we employed a sequential matching procedure where participants compared either the identity or the expression of two successively presented faces, and ignored the other irrelevant dimension. Repetitions versus changes of facial identity and expression were varied independently across trials, and event-related potentials (ERPs) were recorded during task performance. Irrelevant facial identity and irrelevant expression both interfered with performance in the expression and identity matching tasks. These symmetrical interference effects show that neither identity nor expression can be selectively ignored during face matching, and suggest that they are not processed independently. N250r components to identity repetitions that reflect identity matching mechanisms in face-selective visual cortex were delayed and attenuated when there was an expression change, demonstrating that facial expression interferes with visual identity matching. These findings provide new evidence for interactions between facial identity and expression within the core visual processing system, and question the hypothesis that these two attributes are processed independently. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Rapid Facial Reactions to Emotional Facial Expressions in Typically Developing Children and Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Beall, Paula M.; Moody, Eric J.; McIntosh, Daniel N.; Hepburn, Susan L.; Reed, Catherine L.

2008-01-01

Typical adults mimic facial expressions within 1000ms, but adults with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) do not. These rapid facial reactions (RFRs) are associated with the development of social-emotional abilities. Such interpersonal matching may be caused by motor mirroring or emotional responses. Using facial electromyography (EMG), this study…

An Assessment of How Facial Mimicry Can Change Facial Morphology: Implications for Identification.

PubMed

Gibelli, Daniele; De Angelis, Danilo; Poppa, Pasquale; Sforza, Chiarella; Cattaneo, Cristina

2017-03-01

The assessment of facial mimicry is important in forensic anthropology; in addition, the application of modern 3D image acquisition systems may help for the analysis of facial surfaces. This study aimed at exposing a novel method for comparing 3D profiles in different facial expressions. Ten male adults, aged between 30 and 40 years, underwent acquisitions by stereophotogrammetry (VECTRA-3D ® ) with different expressions (neutral, happy, sad, angry, surprised). The acquisition of each individual was then superimposed on the neutral one according to nine landmarks, and the root mean square (RMS) value between the two expressions was calculated. The highest difference in comparison with the neutral standard was shown by the happy expression (RMS 4.11 mm), followed by the surprised (RMS 2.74 mm), sad (RMS 1.3 mm), and angry ones (RMS 1.21 mm). This pilot study shows that the 3D-3D superimposition may provide reliable results concerning facial alteration due to mimicry. © 2016 American Academy of Forensic Sciences.

Acneiform facial eruptions

PubMed Central

Cheung, Melody J.; Taher, Muba; Lauzon, Gilles J.

2005-01-01

OBJECTIVE To summarize clinical recognition and current management strategies for four types of acneiform facial eruptions common in young women: acne vulgaris, rosacea, folliculitis, and perioral dermatitis. QUALITY OF EVIDENCE Many randomized controlled trials (level I evidence) have studied treatments for acne vulgaris over the years. Treatment recommendations for rosacea, folliculitis, and perioral dermatitis are based predominantly on comparison and open-label studies (level II evidence) as well as expert opinion and consensus statements (level III evidence). MAIN MESSAGE Young women with acneiform facial eruptions often present in primary care. Differentiating between morphologically similar conditions is often difficult. Accurate diagnosis is important because treatment approaches are different for each disease. CONCLUSION Careful visual assessment with an appreciation for subtle morphologic differences and associated clinical factors will help with diagnosis of these common acneiform facial eruptions and lead to appropriate management. PMID:15856972

Assessing facial attractiveness: individual decisions and evolutionary constraints

PubMed Central

Kocsor, Ferenc; Feldmann, Adam; Bereczkei, Tamas; Kállai, János

2013-01-01

Background Several studies showed that facial attractiveness, as a highly salient social cue, influences behavioral responses. It has also been found that attractive faces evoke distinctive neural activation compared to unattractive or neutral faces. Objectives Our aim was to design a face recognition task where individual preferences for facial cues are controlled for, and to create conditions that are more similar to natural circumstances in terms of decision making. Design In an event-related functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) experiment, subjects were shown attractive and unattractive faces, categorized on the basis of their own individual ratings. Results Statistical analysis of all subjects showed elevated brain activation for attractive opposite-sex faces in contrast to less attractive ones in regions that previously have been reported to show enhanced activation with increasing attractiveness level (e.g. the medial and superior occipital gyri, fusiform gyrus, precentral gyrus, and anterior cingular cortex). Besides these, females showed additional brain activation in areas thought to be involved in basic emotions and desires (insula), detection of facial emotions (superior temporal gyrus), and memory retrieval (hippocampus). Conclusions From these data, we speculate that because of the risks involving mate choice faced by women during evolutionary times, selection might have preferred the development of an elaborated neural system in females to assess the attractiveness and social value of male faces. PMID:24693356

Mutual information-based facial expression recognition

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hazar, Mliki; Hammami, Mohamed; Hanêne, Ben-Abdallah

2013-12-01

This paper introduces a novel low-computation discriminative regions representation for expression analysis task. The proposed approach relies on interesting studies in psychology which show that most of the descriptive and responsible regions for facial expression are located around some face parts. The contributions of this work lie in the proposition of new approach which supports automatic facial expression recognition based on automatic regions selection. The regions selection step aims to select the descriptive regions responsible or facial expression and was performed using Mutual Information (MI) technique. For facial feature extraction, we have applied Local Binary Patterns Pattern (LBP) on Gradient image to encode salient micro-patterns of facial expressions. Experimental studies have shown that using discriminative regions provide better results than using the whole face regions whilst reducing features vector dimension.

Constriction of the buccal branch of the facial nerve produces unilateral craniofacial allodynia.

PubMed

Lewis, Susannah S; Grace, Peter M; Hutchinson, Mark R; Maier, Steven F; Watkins, Linda R

2017-08-01

Despite pain being a sensory experience, studies of spinal cord ventral root damage have demonstrated that motor neuron injury can induce neuropathic pain. Whether injury of cranial motor nerves can also produce nociceptive hypersensitivity has not been addressed. Herein, we demonstrate that chronic constriction injury (CCI) of the buccal branch of the facial nerve results in long-lasting, unilateral allodynia in the rat. An anterograde and retrograde tracer (3000MW tetramethylrhodamine-conjugated dextran) was not transported to the trigeminal ganglion when applied to the injury site, but was transported to the facial nucleus, indicating that this nerve branch is not composed of trigeminal sensory neurons. Finally, intracisterna magna injection of interleukin-1 (IL-1) receptor antagonist reversed allodynia, implicating the pro-inflammatory cytokine IL-1 in the maintenance of neuropathic pain induced by facial nerve CCI. These data extend the prior evidence that selective injury to motor axons can enhance pain to supraspinal circuits by demonstrating that injury of a facial nerve with predominantly motor axons is sufficient for neuropathic pain, and that the resultant pain has a neuroimmune component. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Accumulation of glycogen in axotomized adult rat facial motoneurons.

PubMed

Takezawa, Yosuke; Baba, Otto; Kohsaka, Shinichi; Nakajima, Kazuyuki

2015-06-01

This study biochemically determined glycogen content in the axotomized facial nucleus of adult rats up to 35 days postinsult. The amounts of glycogen in the transected facial nucleus were significantly increased at 5 days postinsult, peaked at 7 days postinsult, and declined to the control levels at 21-35 days postinsult. Immunohistochemical analysis with antiglycogen antibody revealed that the quantity of glycogen granules in the axotomized facial nucleus was greater than that in the control nucleus at 7 days postinjury. Dual staining methods with antiglycogen antibody and a motoneuron marker clarified that the glycogen was localized mainly in motoneurons. Immunoblotting and quantification analysis revealed that the ratio of inactive glycogen synthase (GS) to total GS was significantly decreased in the injured nucleus at about 1-3 days postinsult and significantly increased from 7 to 14 days postinsult, suggesting that glycogen is actively synthesized in the early period postinjury but suppressed after 7 days postinsult. The enhanced glycogen at about 5-7 days postinsult is suggested to be responsible for the decrease in inactive GS levels, and the decrease of glycogen after 7 days postinsult is considered to be caused by increased inactive GS levels and possibly the increase in active glycogen phosphorylase. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Social Use of Facial Expressions in Hylobatids

PubMed Central

Scheider, Linda; Waller, Bridget M.; Oña, Leonardo; Burrows, Anne M.; Liebal, Katja

2016-01-01

Non-human primates use various communicative means in interactions with others. While primate gestures are commonly considered to be intentionally and flexibly used signals, facial expressions are often referred to as inflexible, automatic expressions of affective internal states. To explore whether and how non-human primates use facial expressions in specific communicative interactions, we studied five species of small apes (gibbons) by employing a newly established Facial Action Coding System for hylobatid species (GibbonFACS). We found that, despite individuals often being in close proximity to each other, in social (as opposed to non-social contexts) the duration of facial expressions was significantly longer when gibbons were facing another individual compared to non-facing situations. Social contexts included grooming, agonistic interactions and play, whereas non-social contexts included resting and self-grooming. Additionally, gibbons used facial expressions while facing another individual more often in social contexts than non-social contexts where facial expressions were produced regardless of the attentional state of the partner. Also, facial expressions were more likely ‘responded to’ by the partner’s facial expressions when facing another individual than non-facing. Taken together, our results indicate that gibbons use their facial expressions differentially depending on the social context and are able to use them in a directed way in communicative interactions with other conspecifics. PMID:26978660

Facial Anthropometric Norms among Kosovo - Albanian Adults.

PubMed

Staka, Gloria; Asllani-Hoxha, Flurije; Bimbashi, Venera

2017-09-01

The development of an anthropometric craniofacial database is a necessary multidisciplinary proposal. The aim of this study was to establish facial anthropometric norms and to investigate into sexual dimorphism in facial variables among Kosovo Albanian adults. The sample included 204 students of Dental School, Faculty of Medicine, University of Pristina. Using direct anthropometry, a series of 8 standard facial measurements was taken on each subject with digital caliper with an accuracy of 0.01 mm (Boss, Hamburg-Germany). The normative data and percentile rankings were calculated. Gender differences in facial variables were analyzed using t- test for independent samples (p<0.05). The index of sexual dimorphism (ISD) and percentage of sexual dimorphism were calculated for each facial measurement. ormative data for all facial anthropometric measurements in males were higher than in females. Male average norms compared with the female average norms differed significantly from each other (p>0.05).The highest index of sexual dimorphism (ISD) was found for the lower facial height 1.120, for which the highest percentage of sexual dimorphism, 12.01%., was also found. The lowest ISD was found for intercanthal width, 1.022, accompanied with the lowest percentage of sexual dimorphism, 2.23%. The obtained results have established the facial anthropometric norms among Kosovo Albanian adults. Sexual dimorphism has been confirmed for each facial measurement.

Facial Specialty. Teacher Edition. Cosmetology Series.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Oklahoma State Dept. of Vocational and Technical Education, Stillwater. Curriculum and Instructional Materials Center.

This publication is one of a series of curriculum guides designed to direct and support instruction in vocational cosmetology programs in the State of Oklahoma. It contains seven units for the facial specialty: identifying enemies of the skin, using aromatherapy on the skin, giving facials without the aid of machines, giving facials with the aid…

[Idiopathic facial paralysis in children].

PubMed

Achour, I; Chakroun, A; Ayedi, S; Ben Rhaiem, Z; Mnejja, M; Charfeddine, I; Hammami, B; Ghorbel, A

2015-05-01

Idiopathic facial palsy is the most common cause of facial nerve palsy in children. Controversy exists regarding treatment options. The objectives of this study were to review the epidemiological and clinical characteristics as well as the outcome of idiopathic facial palsy in children to suggest appropriate treatment. A retrospective study was conducted on children with a diagnosis of idiopathic facial palsy from 2007 to 2012. A total of 37 cases (13 males, 24 females) with a mean age of 13.9 years were included in this analysis. The mean duration between onset of Bell's palsy and consultation was 3 days. Of these patients, 78.3% had moderately severe (grade IV) or severe paralysis (grade V on the House and Brackmann grading). Twenty-seven patients were treated in an outpatient context, three patients were hospitalized, and seven patients were treated as outpatients and subsequently hospitalized. All patients received corticosteroids. Eight of them also received antiviral treatment. The complete recovery rate was 94.6% (35/37). The duration of complete recovery was 7.4 weeks. Children with idiopathic facial palsy have a very good prognosis. The complete recovery rate exceeds 90%. However, controversy exists regarding treatment options. High-quality studies have been conducted on adult populations. Medical treatment based on corticosteroids alone or combined with antiviral treatment is certainly effective in improving facial function outcomes in adults. In children, the recommendation for prescription of steroids and antiviral drugs based on adult treatment appears to be justified. Randomized controlled trials in the pediatric population are recommended to define a strategy for management of idiopathic facial paralysis. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.

Reconstruction of facial nerve injuries in children.

PubMed

Fattah, Adel; Borschel, Gregory H; Zuker, Ron M

2011-05-01

Facial nerve trauma is uncommon in children, and many spontaneously recover some function; nonetheless, loss of facial nerve activity leads to functional impairment of ocular and oral sphincters and nasal orifice. In many cases, the impediment posed by facial asymmetry and reduced mimetic function more significantly affects the child's psychosocial interactions. As such, reconstruction of the facial nerve affords great benefits in quality of life. The therapeutic strategy is dependent on numerous factors, including the cause of facial nerve injury, the deficit, the prognosis for recovery, and the time elapsed since the injury. The options for treatment include a diverse range of surgical techniques including static lifts and slings, nerve repairs, nerve grafts and nerve transfers, regional, and microvascular free muscle transfer. We review our strategies for addressing facial nerve injuries in children.

UROKIN: A Software to Enhance Our Understanding of Urogenital Motion.

PubMed

Czyrnyj, Catriona S; Labrosse, Michel R; Graham, Ryan B; McLean, Linda

2018-05-01

Transperineal ultrasound (TPUS) allows for objective quantification of mid-sagittal urogenital mechanics, yet current practice omits dynamic motion information in favor of analyzing only a rest and a peak motion frame. This work details the development of UROKIN, a semi-automated software which calculates kinematic curves of urogenital landmark motion. A proof of concept analysis, performed using UROKIN on TPUS video recorded from 20 women with and 10 women without stress urinary incontinence (SUI) performing maximum voluntary contraction of the pelvic floor muscles. The anorectal angle and bladder neck were tracked while the motion of the pubic symphysis was used to compensate for the error incurred by TPUS probe motion during imaging. Kinematic curves of landmark motion were generated for each video and curves were smoothed, time normalized, and averaged within groups. Kinematic data yielded by the UROKIN software showed statistically significant differences between women with and without SUI in terms of magnitude and timing characteristics of the kinematic curves depicting landmark motion. Results provide insight into the ways in which UROKIN may be useful to study differences in pelvic floor muscle contraction mechanics between women with and without SUI and other pelvic floor disorders. The UROKIN software improves on methods described in the literature and provides unique capacity to further our understanding of urogenital biomechanics.

Interacting with target tracking algorithms in a gaze-enhanced motion video analysis system

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hild, Jutta; Krüger, Wolfgang; Heinze, Norbert; Peinsipp-Byma, Elisabeth; Beyerer, Jürgen

2016-05-01

Motion video analysis is a challenging task, particularly if real-time analysis is required. It is therefore an important issue how to provide suitable assistance for the human operator. Given that the use of customized video analysis systems is more and more established, one supporting measure is to provide system functions which perform subtasks of the analysis. Recent progress in the development of automated image exploitation algorithms allow, e.g., real-time moving target tracking. Another supporting measure is to provide a user interface which strives to reduce the perceptual, cognitive and motor load of the human operator for example by incorporating the operator's visual focus of attention. A gaze-enhanced user interface is able to help here. This work extends prior work on automated target recognition, segmentation, and tracking algorithms as well as about the benefits of a gaze-enhanced user interface for interaction with moving targets. We also propose a prototypical system design aiming to combine both the qualities of the human observer's perception and the automated algorithms in order to improve the overall performance of a real-time video analysis system. In this contribution, we address two novel issues analyzing gaze-based interaction with target tracking algorithms. The first issue extends the gaze-based triggering of a target tracking process, e.g., investigating how to best relaunch in the case of track loss. The second issue addresses the initialization of tracking algorithms without motion segmentation where the operator has to provide the system with the object's image region in order to start the tracking algorithm.

Contemporary solutions for the treatment of facial nerve paralysis.

PubMed

Garcia, Ryan M; Hadlock, Tessa A; Klebuc, Michael J; Simpson, Roger L; Zenn, Michael R; Marcus, Jeffrey R

2015-06-01

After reviewing this article, the participant should be able to: 1. Understand the most modern indications and technique for neurotization, including masseter-to-facial nerve transfer (fifth-to-seventh cranial nerve transfer). 2. Contrast the advantages and limitations associated with contiguous muscle transfers and free-muscle transfers for facial reanimation. 3. Understand the indications for a two-stage and one-stage free gracilis muscle transfer for facial reanimation. 4. Apply nonsurgical adjuvant treatments for acute facial nerve paralysis. Facial expression is a complex neuromotor and psychomotor process that is disrupted in patients with facial paralysis breaking the link between emotion and physical expression. Contemporary reconstructive options are being implemented in patients with facial paralysis. While static procedures provide facial symmetry at rest, true 'facial reanimation' requires restoration of facial movement. Contemporary treatment options include neurotization procedures (a new motor nerve is used to restore innervation to a viable muscle), contiguous regional muscle transfer (most commonly temporalis muscle transfer), microsurgical free muscle transfer, and nonsurgical adjuvants used to balance facial symmetry. Each approach has advantages and disadvantages along with ongoing controversies and should be individualized for each patient. Treatments for patients with facial paralysis continue to evolve in order to restore the complex psychomotor process of facial expression.

Improving posttraumatic facial scars.

PubMed

Ardeshirpour, Farhad; Shaye, David A; Hilger, Peter A

2013-10-01

Posttraumatic soft-tissue injuries of the face are often the most lasting sequelae of facial trauma. The disfigurement of posttraumatic scarring lies in both their physical deformity and psychosocial ramifications. This review outlines a variety of techniques to improve facial scars and limit their lasting effects. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Facial Animations: Future Research Directions & Challenges

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Alkawaz, Mohammed Hazim; Mohamad, Dzulkifli; Rehman, Amjad; Basori, Ahmad Hoirul

2014-06-01

Nowadays, computer facial animation is used in a significant multitude fields that brought human and social to study the computer games, films and interactive multimedia reality growth. Authoring the computer facial animation, complex and subtle expressions are challenging and fraught with problems. As a result, the current most authored using universal computer animation techniques often limit the production quality and quantity of facial animation. With the supplement of computer power, facial appreciative, software sophistication and new face-centric methods emerging are immature in nature. Therefore, this paper concentrates to define and managerially categorize current and emerged surveyed facial animation experts to define the recent state of the field, observed bottlenecks and developing techniques. This paper further presents a real-time simulation model of human worry and howling with detail discussion about their astonish, sorrow, annoyance and panic perception.

Full-face motorcycle helmet protection from facial impacts: an investigation using THOR dummy impacts and SIMon finite element head model.

PubMed

Whyte, Thomas; Gibson, Tom; Eager, David; Milthorpe, Bruce

2017-06-01

Facial impacts are both common and injurious for helmeted motorcyclists who crash; however, there is no facial impact requirement in major motorcycle helmet standards. This study examined the effect of full-face motorcycle helmet protection on brain injury risk in facial impacts using a test device with biofidelic head and neck motion. A preliminary investigation of energy absorbing foam in the helmet chin bar was carried out. Flat-faced rigid pendulum impacts were performed on a THOR dummy in an unprotected (no helmet) and protected mode (two full-face helmet conditions). The head responses of the dummy were input into the simulated injury monitor finite element head model to analyse the risk of brain injury in these impacts. Full-face helmet protection provides a significant reduction in brain injury risk in facial impacts at increasing impact speeds compared with an unprotected rider (p<0.05). The effect of low-density crushable foam added to the chin bar could not be distinguished from an unpadded chin bar impact. Despite the lack of an impact attenuation requirement for the face, full-face helmets do provide a reduction in head injury risk to the wearer in facial impacts. The specific helmet design factors that influence head injury risk in facial impacts need further investigation if improved protection for helmeted motorcyclists is to be achieved. Published by the BMJ Publishing Group Limited. For permission to use (where not already granted under a licence) please go to http://www.bmj.com/company/products-services/rights-and-licensing/.

Facial animation on an anatomy-based hierarchical face model

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhang, Yu; Prakash, Edmond C.; Sung, Eric

2003-04-01

In this paper we propose a new hierarchical 3D facial model based on anatomical knowledge that provides high fidelity for realistic facial expression animation. Like real human face, the facial model has a hierarchical biomechanical structure, incorporating a physically-based approximation to facial skin tissue, a set of anatomically-motivated facial muscle actuators and underlying skull structure. The deformable skin model has multi-layer structure to approximate different types of soft tissue. It takes into account the nonlinear stress-strain relationship of the skin and the fact that soft tissue is almost incompressible. Different types of muscle models have been developed to simulate distribution of the muscle force on the skin due to muscle contraction. By the presence of the skull model, our facial model takes advantage of both more accurate facial deformation and the consideration of facial anatomy during the interactive definition of facial muscles. Under the muscular force, the deformation of the facial skin is evaluated using numerical integration of the governing dynamic equations. The dynamic facial animation algorithm runs at interactive rate with flexible and realistic facial expressions to be generated.

Human Empathy, Personality and Experience Affect the Emotion Ratings of Dog and Human Facial Expressions.

PubMed

Kujala, Miiamaaria V; Somppi, Sanni; Jokela, Markus; Vainio, Outi; Parkkonen, Lauri

2017-01-01

Facial expressions are important for humans in communicating emotions to the conspecifics and enhancing interpersonal understanding. Many muscles producing facial expressions in humans are also found in domestic dogs, but little is known about how humans perceive dog facial expressions, and which psychological factors influence people's perceptions. Here, we asked 34 observers to rate the valence, arousal, and the six basic emotions (happiness, sadness, surprise, disgust, fear, and anger/aggressiveness) from images of human and dog faces with Pleasant, Neutral and Threatening expressions. We investigated how the subjects' personality (the Big Five Inventory), empathy (Interpersonal Reactivity Index) and experience of dog behavior affect the ratings of dog and human faces. Ratings of both species followed similar general patterns: human subjects classified dog facial expressions from pleasant to threatening very similarly to human facial expressions. Subjects with higher emotional empathy evaluated Threatening faces of both species as more negative in valence and higher in anger/aggressiveness. More empathetic subjects also rated the happiness of Pleasant humans but not dogs higher, and they were quicker in their valence judgments of Pleasant human, Threatening human and Threatening dog faces. Experience with dogs correlated positively with ratings of Pleasant and Neutral dog faces. Personality also had a minor effect on the ratings of Pleasant and Neutral faces in both species. The results imply that humans perceive human and dog facial expression in a similar manner, and the perception of both species is influenced by psychological factors of the evaluators. Especially empathy affects both the speed and intensity of rating dogs' emotional facial expressions.

Human Empathy, Personality and Experience Affect the Emotion Ratings of Dog and Human Facial Expressions

PubMed Central

Kujala, Miiamaaria V.; Somppi, Sanni; Jokela, Markus; Vainio, Outi; Parkkonen, Lauri

2017-01-01

Facial expressions are important for humans in communicating emotions to the conspecifics and enhancing interpersonal understanding. Many muscles producing facial expressions in humans are also found in domestic dogs, but little is known about how humans perceive dog facial expressions, and which psychological factors influence people’s perceptions. Here, we asked 34 observers to rate the valence, arousal, and the six basic emotions (happiness, sadness, surprise, disgust, fear, and anger/aggressiveness) from images of human and dog faces with Pleasant, Neutral and Threatening expressions. We investigated how the subjects’ personality (the Big Five Inventory), empathy (Interpersonal Reactivity Index) and experience of dog behavior affect the ratings of dog and human faces. Ratings of both species followed similar general patterns: human subjects classified dog facial expressions from pleasant to threatening very similarly to human facial expressions. Subjects with higher emotional empathy evaluated Threatening faces of both species as more negative in valence and higher in anger/aggressiveness. More empathetic subjects also rated the happiness of Pleasant humans but not dogs higher, and they were quicker in their valence judgments of Pleasant human, Threatening human and Threatening dog faces. Experience with dogs correlated positively with ratings of Pleasant and Neutral dog faces. Personality also had a minor effect on the ratings of Pleasant and Neutral faces in both species. The results imply that humans perceive human and dog facial expression in a similar manner, and the perception of both species is influenced by psychological factors of the evaluators. Especially empathy affects both the speed and intensity of rating dogs’ emotional facial expressions. PMID:28114335

Reconstruction of facial nerve after radical parotidectomy.

PubMed

Renkonen, Suvi; Sayed, Farid; Keski-Säntti, Harri; Ylä-Kotola, Tuija; Bäck, Leif; Suominen, Sinikka; Kanerva, Mervi; Mäkitie, Antti A

2015-01-01

Most patients benefitted from immediate facial nerve grafting after radical parotidectomy. Even weak movement is valuable and can be augmented with secondary static operations. Post-operative radiotherapy does not seem to affect the final outcome of facial function. During radical parotidectomy, the sacrifice of the facial nerve results in severe disfigurement of the face. Data on the principles and outcome of facial nerve reconstruction and reanimation after radical parotidectomy are limited and no consensus exists on the best practice. This study retrospectively reviewed all patients having undergone radical parotidectomy and immediate facial nerve reconstruction with a free, non-vascularized nerve graft at the Helsinki University Hospital, Helsinki, Finland during the years 1990-2010. There were 31 patients (18 male; mean age = 54.7 years; range = 30-82) and 23 of them had a sufficient follow-up time. Facial nerve function recovery was seen in 18 (78%) of the 23 patients with a minimum of 2-year follow-up and adequate reporting available. Only slight facial movement was observed in five (22%), moderate or good movement in nine (39%), and excellent movement in four (17%) patients. Twenty-two (74%) patients received post-operative radiotherapy and 16 (70%) of them had some recovery of facial nerve function. Nineteen (61%) patients needed secondary static reanimation of the face.

Modeling 3D Facial Shape from DNA

PubMed Central

Claes, Peter; Liberton, Denise K.; Daniels, Katleen; Rosana, Kerri Matthes; Quillen, Ellen E.; Pearson, Laurel N.; McEvoy, Brian; Bauchet, Marc; Zaidi, Arslan A.; Yao, Wei; Tang, Hua; Barsh, Gregory S.; Absher, Devin M.; Puts, David A.; Rocha, Jorge; Beleza, Sandra; Pereira, Rinaldo W.; Baynam, Gareth; Suetens, Paul; Vandermeulen, Dirk; Wagner, Jennifer K.; Boster, James S.; Shriver, Mark D.

2014-01-01

Human facial diversity is substantial, complex, and largely scientifically unexplained. We used spatially dense quasi-landmarks to measure face shape in population samples with mixed West African and European ancestry from three locations (United States, Brazil, and Cape Verde). Using bootstrapped response-based imputation modeling (BRIM), we uncover the relationships between facial variation and the effects of sex, genomic ancestry, and a subset of craniofacial candidate genes. The facial effects of these variables are summarized as response-based imputed predictor (RIP) variables, which are validated using self-reported sex, genomic ancestry, and observer-based facial ratings (femininity and proportional ancestry) and judgments (sex and population group). By jointly modeling sex, genomic ancestry, and genotype, the independent effects of particular alleles on facial features can be uncovered. Results on a set of 20 genes showing significant effects on facial features provide support for this approach as a novel means to identify genes affecting normal-range facial features and for approximating the appearance of a face from genetic markers. PMID:24651127

How to Avoid Facial Nerve Injury in Mastoidectomy?

PubMed Central

Ryu, Nam-Gyu

2016-01-01

Unexpected iatrogenic facial nerve paralysis not only affects facial disfiguration, but also imposes a devastating effect on the social, psychological, and economic aspects of an affected person's life at once. The aims of this study were to postulate where surgeons had mistakenly drilled or where obscured by granulations or by fibrous bands and to look for surgical approach with focused on the safety of facial nerve in mastoid surgery. We had found 14 cases of iatrogenic facial nerve injury (IFNI) during mastoid surgery for 5 years in Korea. The medical records of all the patients were obtained and analyzed injured site of facial nerve segment with surgical technique of mastoidectomy. Eleven patients underwent facial nerve exploration and three patients had conservative management. 43% (6 cases) of iatrogenic facial nerve injuries had occurred in tympanic segment, 28.5% (4 cases) of injuries in second genu combined with tympanic segment, and 28.5% (4 cases) of injuries in mastoid segment. Surgeons should try to identify the facial nerve using available landmarks and be kept in mind the anomalies of the facial nerve. With use of intraoperative facial nerve monitoring, the avoidance of in order to avoid IFNI would be possible in more cases. Many authors emphasized the importance of intraoperative facial nerve monitoring, even in primary otologic surgery. However, anatomical understanding of intratemporal landmarks with meticulous dissection could not be emphasized as possible to prevent IFNI. PMID:27626078

Preservation of Facial Nerve Function Repaired by Using Fibrin Glue-Coated Collagen Fleece for a Totally Transected Facial Nerve during Vestibular Schwannoma Surgery

PubMed Central

Choi, Kyung-Sik; Kim, Min-Su; Jang, Sung-Ho

2014-01-01

Recently, the increasing rates of facial nerve preservation after vestibular schwannoma (VS) surgery have been achieved. However, the management of a partially or completely damaged facial nerve remains an important issue. The authors report a patient who was had a good recovery after a facial nerve reconstruction using fibrin glue-coated collagen fleece for a totally transected facial nerve during VS surgery. And, we verifed the anatomical preservation and functional outcome of the facial nerve with postoperative diffusion tensor (DT) imaging facial nerve tractography, electroneurography (ENoG) and House-Brackmann (HB) grade. DT imaging tractography at the 3rd postoperative day revealed preservation of facial nerve. And facial nerve degeneration ratio was 94.1% at 7th postoperative day ENoG. At postoperative 3 months and 1 year follow-up examination with DT imaging facial nerve tractography and ENoG, good results for facial nerve function were observed. PMID:25024825

The Usefulness of MR Imaging of the Temporal Bone in the Evaluation of Patients with Facial and Audiovestibular Dysfunction

PubMed Central

Park, Sang Uk; Cho, Young Kuk; Lim, Myung Kwan; Kim, Won Hong; Suh, Chang Hae; Lee, Seung Chul

2002-01-01

Objective To evaluate the clinical utility of MR imaging of the temporal bone in patients with facial and audiovestibular dysfunction with particular emphasis on the importance of contrast enhancement. Materials and Methods We retrospectively reviewed the MR images of 179 patients [72 men, 107 women; average age, 44 (range, 1-77) years] who presented with peripheral facial palsy (n=15), audiometrically proven sensorineural hearing loss (n=104), vertigo (n=109), or tinnitus (n=92). Positive MR imaging findings possibly responsible for the patients clinical manifestations were categorized according to the anatomic sites and presumed etiologies of the lesions. We also assessed the utility of contrast-enhanced MR imaging by analyzing its contribution to the demonstration of lesions which would otherwise not have been apparent. All MR images were interpreted by two neuroradiologists, who reached their conclusions by consensus. Results MR images demonstrated positive findings, thought to account for the presenting symptoms, in 78 (44%) of 179 patients, including 15 (100%) of 15 with peripheral facial palsy, 43 (41%) of 104 with sensorineural hearing loss, 40 (37%) of 109 with vertigo, and 39 (42%) of 92 with tinnitus. Thirty (38%) of those 78 patients had lesions that could be confidently recognized only at contrast-enhanced MR imaging. Conclusion Even though its use led to positive findings in less than half of these patients, MR imaging of the temporal bone is a useful diagnostic procedure in the evaluation of those with facial and audiovestibular dysfunction. Because it was only at contrast-enhanced MR imaging that a significant number of patients showed positive imaging findings which explained their clinical manifestations, the use of contrast material is highly recommended. PMID:11919474

Measurement of facial movements with Photoshop software during treatment of facial nerve palsy.

PubMed

Pourmomeny, Abbas Ali; Zadmehr, Hassan; Hossaini, Mohsen

2011-10-01

Evaluating the function of facial nerve is essential in order to determine the influences of various treatment methods. The aim of this study was to evaluate and assess the agreement of Photoshop scaling system versus the facial grading system (FGS). In this semi-experimental study, thirty subjects with facial nerve paralysis were recruited. The evaluation of all patients before and after the treatment was performed by FGS and Photoshop measurements. The mean values of FGS before and after the treatment were 35 ± 25 and 67 ± 24, respectively (p < 0.001). In Photoshop assessment, mean changes of face expressions in the impaired side relative to the normal side in rest position and three main movements of the face were 3.4 ± 0.55 and 4.04 ± 0.49 millimeter before and after the treatment, respectively (p < 0.001). Spearman's correlation coefficient between different values in the two methods was 0.66 (p < 0.001). Evaluating the facial nerve palsy using Photoshop was more objective than using FGS. Therefore, it may be recommended to use this method instead.

Facial transplantation: A concise update

PubMed Central

Barrera-Pulido, Fernando; Gomez-Cia, Tomas; Sicilia-Castro, Domingo; Garcia-Perla-Garcia, Alberto; Gacto-Sanchez, Purificacion; Hernandez-Guisado, Jose-Maria; Lagares-Borrego, Araceli; Narros-Gimenez, Rocio; Gonzalez-Padilla, Juan D.

2013-01-01

Objectives: Update on clinical results obtained by the first worldwide facial transplantation teams as well as review of the literature concerning the main surgical, immunological, ethical, and follow-up aspects described on facial transplanted patients. Study design: MEDLINE search of articles published on “face transplantation” until March 2012. Results: Eighteen clinical cases were studied. The mean patient age was 37.5 years, with a higher prevalence of men. Main surgical indication was gunshot injuries (6 patients). All patients had previously undergone multiple conventional surgical reconstructive procedures which had failed. Altogether 8 transplant teams belonging to 4 countries participated. Thirteen partial face transplantations and 5 full face transplantations have been performed. Allografts are varied according to face anatomical components and the amount of skin, muscle, bone, and other tissues included, though all were grafted successfully and remained viable without significant postoperative surgical complications. The patient with the longest follow-up was 5 years. Two patients died 2 and 27 months after transplantation. Conclusions: Clinical experience has demonstrated the feasibility of facial transplantation as a valuable reconstructive option, but it still remains considered as an experimental procedure with unresolved issues to settle down. Results show that from a clinical, technical, and immunological standpoint, facial transplantation has achieved functional, aesthetic, and social rehabilitation in severely facial disfigured patients. Key words:Face transplantation, composite tissue transplantation, face allograft, facial reconstruction, outcomes and complications of face transplantation. PMID:23229268

Facial Age Synthesis Using Sparse Partial Least Squares (The Case of Ben Needham).

PubMed

Bukar, Ali M; Ugail, Hassan

2017-09-01

Automatic facial age progression (AFAP) has been an active area of research in recent years. This is due to its numerous applications which include searching for missing. This study presents a new method of AFAP. Here, we use an active appearance model (AAM) to extract facial features from available images. An aging function is then modelled using sparse partial least squares regression (sPLS). Thereafter, the aging function is used to render new faces at different ages. To test the accuracy of our algorithm, extensive evaluation is conducted using a database of 500 face images with known ages. Furthermore, the algorithm is used to progress Ben Needham's facial image that was taken when he was 21 months old to the ages of 6, 14, and 22 years. The algorithm presented in this study could potentially be used to enhance the search for missing people worldwide. © 2017 American Academy of Forensic Sciences.

Face Processing in Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder: Independent or Interactive Processing of Facial Identity and Facial Expression?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Krebs, Julia F.; Biswas, Ajanta; Pascalis, Olivier; Kamp-Becker, Inge; Remschmidt, Helmuth; Schwarzer, Gudrun

2011-01-01

The current study investigated if deficits in processing emotional expression affect facial identity processing and vice versa in children with autism spectrum disorder. Children with autism and IQ and age matched typically developing children classified faces either by emotional expression, thereby ignoring facial identity or by facial identity…

Fractional CO2 laser resurfacing of photoaged facial and non-facial skin: histologic and clinical results and side effects.

PubMed

Sasaki, Gordon H; Travis, Heather M; Tucker, Barbara

2009-12-01

CO(2) fractional ablation offers the potential for facial and non-facial skin resurfacing with minimal downtime and rapid recovery. The purpose of this study was (i) to document the average depths and density of adnexal structures in non-lasered facial and non-facial body skin; (ii) to determine injury in ex vivo human thigh skin with varying fractional laser modes; and (iii) to evaluate the clinical safety and efficacy of treatments. Histologies were obtained from non-lasered facial and non-facial skin from 121 patients and from 14 samples of excised lasered thigh skin. Seventy-one patients were evaluated after varying energy (mJ) and density settings by superficial ablation, deeper penetration, and combined treatment. Skin thickness and adnexal density in non-lasered skin exhibited variable ranges: epidermis (47-105 mum); papillary dermis (61-105 mum); reticular dermis (983-1986 mum); hair follicles (2-14/ HPF); sebaceous glands (2-23/HPF); sweat glands (2-7/HPF). Histological studies of samples from human thigh skin demonstrated that increased fluencies in the superficial, deep and combined mode resulted in predictable deeper levels of ablations and thermal injury. An increase in density settings results in total ablation of the epidermis. Clinical improvement of rhytids and pigmentations in facial and non-facial skin was proportional to increasing energy and density settings. Patient assessments and clinical gradings by the Wilcoxon's test of outcomes correlated with more aggressive settings. Prior knowledge of normal skin depths and adnexal densities, as well as ex vivo skin laser-injury profiles at varying fluencies and densities, improve the safety and efficiency of fractional CO(2) for photorejuvenation of facial and non-facial skin.

The Personal Motion Platform

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Park, Brian Vandellyn

1993-01-01

The Neutral Body Posture experienced in microgravity creates a biomechanical equilibrium by enabling the internal forces within the body to find their own balance. A patented reclining chair based on this posture provides a minimal stress environment for interfacing with computer systems for extended periods. When the chair is mounted on a 3 or 6 axis motion platform, a generic motion simulator for simulated digital environments is created. The Personal Motion Platform provides motional feedback to the occupant in synchronization with their movements inside the digital world which enhances the simulation experience. Existing HMD based simulation systems can be integrated to the turnkey system. Future developments are discussed.

Research on respiratory motion correction method based on liver contrast-enhanced ultrasound images of single mode

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhang, Ji; Li, Tao; Zheng, Shiqiang; Li, Yiyong

2015-03-01

To reduce the effects of respiratory motion in the quantitative analysis based on liver contrast-enhanced ultrasound (CEUS) image sequencesof single mode. The image gating method and the iterative registration method using model image were adopted to register liver contrast-enhanced ultrasound image sequences of single mode. The feasibility of the proposed respiratory motion correction method was explored preliminarily using 10 hepatocellular carcinomas CEUS cases. The positions of the lesions in the time series of 2D ultrasound images after correction were visually evaluated. Before and after correction, the quality of the weighted sum of transit time (WSTT) parametric images were also compared, in terms of the accuracy and spatial resolution. For the corrected and uncorrected sequences, their mean deviation values (mDVs) of time-intensity curve (TIC) fitting derived from CEUS sequences were measured. After the correction, the positions of the lesions in the time series of 2D ultrasound images were almost invariant. In contrast, the lesions in the uncorrected images all shifted noticeably. The quality of the WSTT parametric maps derived from liver CEUS image sequences were improved more greatly. Moreover, the mDVs of TIC fitting derived from CEUS sequences after the correction decreased by an average of 48.48+/-42.15. The proposed correction method could improve the accuracy of quantitative analysis based on liver CEUS image sequences of single mode, which would help in enhancing the differential diagnosis efficiency of liver tumors.

Facial nerve paralysis in children

PubMed Central

Ciorba, Andrea; Corazzi, Virginia; Conz, Veronica; Bianchini, Chiara; Aimoni, Claudia

2015-01-01

Facial nerve palsy is a condition with several implications, particularly when occurring in childhood. It represents a serious clinical problem as it causes significant concerns in doctors because of its etiology, its treatment options and its outcome, as well as in little patients and their parents, because of functional and aesthetic outcomes. There are several described causes of facial nerve paralysis in children, as it can be congenital (due to delivery traumas and genetic or malformative diseases) or acquired (due to infective, inflammatory, neoplastic, traumatic or iatrogenic causes). Nonetheless, in approximately 40%-75% of the cases, the cause of unilateral facial paralysis still remains idiopathic. A careful diagnostic workout and differential diagnosis are particularly recommended in case of pediatric facial nerve palsy, in order to establish the most appropriate treatment, as the therapeutic approach differs in relation to the etiology. PMID:26677445

Association of Frontal and Lateral Facial Attractiveness.

PubMed

Gu, Jeffrey T; Avilla, David; Devcic, Zlatko; Karimi, Koohyar; Wong, Brian J F

2018-01-01

Despite the large number of studies focused on defining frontal or lateral facial attractiveness, no reports have examined whether a significant association between frontal and lateral facial attractiveness exists. To examine the association between frontal and lateral facial attractiveness and to identify anatomical features that may influence discordance between frontal and lateral facial beauty. Paired frontal and lateral facial synthetic images of 240 white women (age range, 18-25 years) were evaluated from September 30, 2004, to September 29, 2008, using an internet-based focus group (n = 600) on an attractiveness Likert scale of 1 to 10, with 1 being least attractive and 10 being most attractive. Data analysis was performed from December 6, 2016, to March 30, 2017. The association between frontal and lateral attractiveness scores was determined using linear regression. Outliers were defined as data outside the 95% individual prediction interval. To identify features that contribute to score discordance between frontal and lateral attractiveness scores, each of these image pairs were scrutinized by an evaluator panel for facial features that were present in the frontal or lateral projections and absent in the other respective facial projections. Attractiveness scores obtained from internet-based focus groups. For the 240 white women studied (mean [SD] age, 21.4 [2.2] years), attractiveness scores ranged from 3.4 to 9.5 for frontal images and 3.3 to 9.4 for lateral images. The mean (SD) frontal attractiveness score was 6.9 (1.4), whereas the mean (SD) lateral attractiveness score was 6.4 (1.3). Simple linear regression of frontal and lateral attractiveness scores resulted in a coefficient of determination of r2 = 0.749. Eight outlier pairs were identified and analyzed by panel evaluation. Panel evaluation revealed no clinically applicable association between frontal and lateral images among outliers; however, contributory facial features were suggested

Composite Artistry Meets Facial Recognition Technology: Exploring the Use of Facial Recognition Technology to Identify Composite Images

DTIC Science & Technology

2011-09-01

be submitted into a facial recognition program for comparison with millions of possible matches, offering abundant opportunities to identify the...to leverage the robust number of comparative opportunities associated with facial recognition programs. This research investigates the efficacy of...combining composite forensic artistry with facial recognition technology to create a viable investigative tool to identify suspects, as well as better

Facial recognition in education system

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Krithika, L. B.; Venkatesh, K.; Rathore, S.; Kumar, M. Harish

2017-11-01

Human beings exploit emotions comprehensively for conveying messages and their resolution. Emotion detection and face recognition can provide an interface between the individuals and technologies. The most successful applications of recognition analysis are recognition of faces. Many different techniques have been used to recognize the facial expressions and emotion detection handle varying poses. In this paper, we approach an efficient method to recognize the facial expressions to track face points and distances. This can automatically identify observer face movements and face expression in image. This can capture different aspects of emotion and facial expressions.

[Bilateral facial nerve palsy associated with Epstein-Barr virus infection in a 3-year-old boy].

PubMed

Grassin, M; Rolland, A; Leboucq, N; Roubertie, A; Rivier, F; Meyer, P

2017-06-01

Bilateral facial nerve palsy is a rare and sometimes difficult diagnosis. We describe a case of bilateral simultaneous facial nerve palsy associated with Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) infection in a 3-year-old boy. Several symptoms led to the diagnosis of EBV infection: the clinical situation (fever, stomachache, and throat infection), white blood cell count (5300/mm 3 with 70% lymphocyte count), seroconversion with EBV-specific antibodies, lymphocytic meningitis, and a positive blood EBV polymerase chain reaction (9.3×10 3 copies of EBV-DNA). An MRI brain scan showed bilateral gadolinium enhancement of the facial nerve. A treatment plan with IV antibiotics (ceftriaxone) and corticosteroids was implemented. Antibiotics were stopped after the diagnosis of Lyme disease was ruled out. The patient's facial weakness improved within a few weeks. Bilateral facial nerve palsy is rare and, unlike unilateral facial palsy, it is idiopathic in only 20% of cases. Therefore, it requires further investigation and examination to search for the underlying etiology. Lyme disease is the first infectious disease that should be considered in children, especially in endemic areas. An antibiotic treatment effective against Borrelia burgdorferi should be set up until the diagnosis is negated or confirmed. Further examination should include a blood test (such as immunologic testing, and serologic testing for viruses and bacterium with neurological tropism), a cerebrospinal fluid test, and an MRI brain scan to exclude any serious or curable underlying etiology. Facial bilateral nerve palsy associated with EBV is rarely described in children. Neurological complications have been reported in 7% of all EBV infections. The facial nerve is the most frequently affected of all cranial nerves. Facial palsy described in EBV infections is bilateral in 35% of all cases. The physiopathology is currently unknown. Prognosis is good most of the time. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.

Effects of sexual dimorphism on facial attractiveness.

PubMed

Perrett, D I; Lee, K J; Penton-Voak, I; Rowland, D; Yoshikawa, S; Burt, D M; Henzi, S P; Castles, D L; Akamatsu, S

1998-08-27

Testosterone-dependent secondary sexual characteristics in males may signal immunological competence and are sexually selected for in several species. In humans, oestrogen-dependent characteristics of the female body correlate with health and reproductive fitness and are found attractive. Enhancing the sexual dimorphism of human faces should raise attractiveness by enhancing sex-hormone-related cues to youth and fertility in females, and to dominance and immunocompetence in males. Here we report the results of asking subjects to choose the most attractive faces from continua that enhanced or diminished differences between the average shape of female and male faces. As predicted, subjects preferred feminized to average shapes of a female face. This preference applied across UK and Japanese populations but was stronger for within-population judgements, which indicates that attractiveness cues are learned. Subjects preferred feminized to average or masculinized shapes of a male face. Enhancing masculine facial characteristics increased both perceived dominance and negative attributions (for example, coldness or dishonesty) relevant to relationships and paternal investment. These results indicate a selection pressure that limits sexual dimorphism and encourages neoteny in humans.

Objectifying Facial Expressivity Assessment of Parkinson's Patients: Preliminary Study

PubMed Central

Patsis, Georgios; Jiang, Dongmei; Sahli, Hichem; Kerckhofs, Eric; Vandekerckhove, Marie

2014-01-01

Patients with Parkinson's disease (PD) can exhibit a reduction of spontaneous facial expression, designated as “facial masking,” a symptom in which facial muscles become rigid. To improve clinical assessment of facial expressivity of PD, this work attempts to quantify the dynamic facial expressivity (facial activity) of PD by automatically recognizing facial action units (AUs) and estimating their intensity. Spontaneous facial expressivity was assessed by comparing 7 PD patients with 8 control participants. To voluntarily produce spontaneous facial expressions that resemble those typically triggered by emotions, six emotions (amusement, sadness, anger, disgust, surprise, and fear) were elicited using movie clips. During the movie clips, physiological signals (facial electromyography (EMG) and electrocardiogram (ECG)) and frontal face video of the participants were recorded. The participants were asked to report on their emotional states throughout the experiment. We first examined the effectiveness of the emotion manipulation by evaluating the participant's self-reports. Disgust-induced emotions were significantly higher than the other emotions. Thus we focused on the analysis of the recorded data during watching disgust movie clips. The proposed facial expressivity assessment approach captured differences in facial expressivity between PD patients and controls. Also differences between PD patients with different progression of Parkinson's disease have been observed. PMID:25478003

Objectifying facial expressivity assessment of Parkinson's patients: preliminary study.

PubMed

Wu, Peng; Gonzalez, Isabel; Patsis, Georgios; Jiang, Dongmei; Sahli, Hichem; Kerckhofs, Eric; Vandekerckhove, Marie

2014-01-01

Patients with Parkinson's disease (PD) can exhibit a reduction of spontaneous facial expression, designated as "facial masking," a symptom in which facial muscles become rigid. To improve clinical assessment of facial expressivity of PD, this work attempts to quantify the dynamic facial expressivity (facial activity) of PD by automatically recognizing facial action units (AUs) and estimating their intensity. Spontaneous facial expressivity was assessed by comparing 7 PD patients with 8 control participants. To voluntarily produce spontaneous facial expressions that resemble those typically triggered by emotions, six emotions (amusement, sadness, anger, disgust, surprise, and fear) were elicited using movie clips. During the movie clips, physiological signals (facial electromyography (EMG) and electrocardiogram (ECG)) and frontal face video of the participants were recorded. The participants were asked to report on their emotional states throughout the experiment. We first examined the effectiveness of the emotion manipulation by evaluating the participant's self-reports. Disgust-induced emotions were significantly higher than the other emotions. Thus we focused on the analysis of the recorded data during watching disgust movie clips. The proposed facial expressivity assessment approach captured differences in facial expressivity between PD patients and controls. Also differences between PD patients with different progression of Parkinson's disease have been observed.

Compensation procedures for facial asymmetries.

PubMed

Kozol, F

1995-01-01

Why would a patient complain of "fuzzy and uncomfortable" vision with a variety of glasses? Perhaps because the practitioner has failed to take facial asymmetry into account. Methods of measuring facial asymmetry and optically correcting for it are discussed.

Facial gunshot wound debridement: debridement of facial soft tissue gunshot wounds.

PubMed

Shvyrkov, Michael B

2013-01-01

Over the period 1981-1985 the author treated 1486 patients with facial gunshot wounds sustained in combat in Afghanistan. In the last quarter of 20th century, more powerful and destructive weapons such as M-16 rifles, AK-47 and Kalashnikov submachine guns, became available and a new approach to gunshot wound debridement is required. Modern surgeons have little experience in treatment of such wounds because of rare contact with similar pathology. This article is intended to explore modern wound debridement. The management of 502 isolated soft tissue injuries is presented. Existing principles recommend the sparing of damaged tissues. The author's experience was that tissue sparing lead to a high rate of complications (47.6%). Radical primary surgical debridement (RPSD) of wounds was then adopted with radical excision of necrotic non-viable wound margins containing infection to the point of active capillary bleeding and immediate primary wound closure. After radical debridement wound infection and breakdown decreased by a factor of 10. Plastic operations with local and remote soft tissue were made on 14, 7% of the wounded. Only 0.7% patients required discharge from the army due to facial muscle paralysis and/or facial skin impregnation with particles of gunpowder from mine explosions. Gunshot face wound; modern debridement. Copyright © 2012 European Association for Cranio-Maxillo-Facial Surgery. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Biometrics: A Look at Facial Recognition

DTIC Science & Technology

a facial recognition system in the city’s Oceanfront tourist area. The system has been tested and has recently been fully implemented. Senator...Kenneth W. Stolle, the Chairman of the Virginia State Crime Commission, established a Facial Recognition Technology Sub-Committee to examine the issue of... facial recognition technology. This briefing begins by defining biometrics and discussing examples of the technology. It then explains how biometrics

Facial trauma: general principles of management.

PubMed

Hollier, Larry H; Sharabi, Safa E; Koshy, John C; Stal, Samuel

2010-07-01

Facial fractures are common problems encountered by the plastic surgeon. Although ubiquitous in nature, their optimal treatment requires precise knowledge of the most recent evidence-based and technologically advanced recommendations. This article discusses a variety of contemporary issues regarding facial fractures, including physical and radiologic diagnosis, treatment pearls and caveats, and the role of various synthetic materials and plating technologies for optimal facial fracture fixation.

Agency and facial emotion judgment in context.

PubMed

Ito, Kenichi; Masuda, Takahiko; Li, Liman Man Wai

2013-06-01

Past research showed that East Asians' belief in holism was expressed as their tendencies to include background facial emotions into the evaluation of target faces more than North Americans. However, this pattern can be interpreted as North Americans' tendency to downplay background facial emotions due to their conceptualization of facial emotion as volitional expression of internal states. Examining this alternative explanation, we investigated whether different types of contextual information produce varying degrees of effect on one's face evaluation across cultures. In three studies, European Canadians and East Asians rated the intensity of target facial emotions surrounded with either affectively salient landscape sceneries or background facial emotions. The results showed that, although affectively salient landscapes influenced the judgment of both cultural groups, only European Canadians downplayed the background facial emotions. The role of agency as differently conceptualized across cultures and multilayered systems of cultural meanings are discussed.

The superficial temporal fat pad and its ramifications for temporalis muscle construction in facial approximation.

PubMed

Stephan, Carl N; Devine, Matthew

2009-10-30

The construction of the facial muscles (particularly those of mastication) is generally thought to enhance the accuracy of facial approximation methods because they increase attention paid to face anatomy. However, the lack of consideration for non-muscular structures of the face when using these "anatomical" methods ironically forces one of the two large masticatory muscles to be exaggerated beyond reality. To demonstrate and resolve this issue the temporal region of nineteen caucasoid human cadavers (10 females, 9 males; mean age=84 years, s=9 years, range=58-97 years) were investigated. Soft tissue depths were measured at regular intervals across the temporal fossa in 10 cadavers, and the thickness of the muscle and fat components quantified in nine other cadavers. The measurements indicated that the temporalis muscle generally accounts for <50% of the total soft tissue depth, and does not fill the entirety of the fossa (as generally known in the anatomical literature, but not as followed in facial approximation practice). In addition, a soft tissue bulge was consistently observed in the anteroinferior portion of the temporal fossa (as also evident in younger individuals), and during dissection, this bulge was found to closely correspond to the superficial temporal fat pad (STFP). Thus, the facial surface does not follow a simple undulating curve of the temporalis muscle as currently undertaken in facial approximation methods. New metric-based facial approximation guidelines are presented to facilitate accurate construction of the STFP and the temporalis muscle for future facial approximation casework. This study warrants further investigations of the temporalis muscle and the STFP in younger age groups and demonstrates that untested facial approximation guidelines, including those propounded to be anatomical, should be cautiously regarded.

Aberrant patterns of visual facial information usage in schizophrenia.

PubMed

Clark, Cameron M; Gosselin, Frédéric; Goghari, Vina M

2013-05-01

Deficits in facial emotion perception have been linked to poorer functional outcome in schizophrenia. However, the relationship between abnormal emotion perception and functional outcome remains poorly understood. To better understand the nature of facial emotion perception deficits in schizophrenia, we used the Bubbles Facial Emotion Perception Task to identify differences in usage of visual facial information in schizophrenia patients (n = 20) and controls (n = 20), when differentiating between angry and neutral facial expressions. As hypothesized, schizophrenia patients required more facial information than controls to accurately differentiate between angry and neutral facial expressions, and they relied on different facial features and spatial frequencies to differentiate these facial expressions. Specifically, schizophrenia patients underutilized the eye regions, overutilized the nose and mouth regions, and virtually ignored information presented at the lowest levels of spatial frequency. In addition, a post hoc one-tailed t test revealed a positive relationship of moderate strength between the degree of divergence from "normal" visual facial information usage in the eye region and lower overall social functioning. These findings provide direct support for aberrant patterns of visual facial information usage in schizophrenia in differentiating between socially salient emotional states. © 2013 American Psychological Association

Coupled Dictionary Learning for the Detail-Enhanced Synthesis of 3-D Facial Expressions.

PubMed

Liang, Haoran; Liang, Ronghua; Song, Mingli; He, Xiaofei

2016-04-01

The desire to reconstruct 3-D face models with expressions from 2-D face images fosters increasing interest in addressing the problem of face modeling. This task is important and challenging in the field of computer animation. Facial contours and wrinkles are essential to generate a face with a certain expression; however, these details are generally ignored or are not seriously considered in previous studies on face model reconstruction. Thus, we employ coupled radius basis function networks to derive an intermediate 3-D face model from a single 2-D face image. To optimize the 3-D face model further through landmarks, a coupled dictionary that is related to 3-D face models and their corresponding 3-D landmarks is learned from the given training set through local coordinate coding. Another coupled dictionary is then constructed to bridge the 2-D and 3-D landmarks for the transfer of vertices on the face model. As a result, the final 3-D face can be generated with the appropriate expression. In the testing phase, the 2-D input faces are converted into 3-D models that display different expressions. Experimental results indicate that the proposed approach to facial expression synthesis can obtain model details more effectively than previous methods can.

Signs of essential blepharospasm: a motion-picture analysis.

PubMed

Coles, W H

1977-06-01

Motion pictures of 15 patients with essential blepharospasm were studied. Previously unrecognized signs indicated multiple cranial nerve involvement. These signs include impersistence of gaze, lid retraction, tongue thrust, head tilts, head jerks, vertical gaze spasms, and asymmetry. The sugns were also observed in a patient with bilateral blepharospasm who had a history of Bell's palsy suggesting facial nerve injury as a possible factor in blepharospasm. The presence of these signs can be explained by known neural pathways, but the site, or sites, of the lesion remains obscure. These signs may be important in assessing severity and in treatment evaluation.

Amblyopia Associated with Congenital Facial Nerve Paralysis.

PubMed

Iwamura, Hitoshi; Kondo, Kenji; Sawamura, Hiromasa; Baba, Shintaro; Yasuhara, Kazuo; Yamasoba, Tatsuya

2016-01-01

The association between congenital facial paralysis and visual development has not been thoroughly studied. Of 27 pediatric cases of congenital facial paralysis, we identified 3 patients who developed amblyopia, a visual acuity decrease caused by abnormal visual development, as comorbidity. These 3 patients had facial paralysis in the periocular region and developed amblyopia on the paralyzed side. They started treatment by wearing an eye patch immediately after diagnosis and before the critical visual developmental period; all patients responded to the treatment. Our findings suggest that the incidence of amblyopia in the cases of congenital facial paralysis, particularly the paralysis in the periocular region, is higher than that in the general pediatric population. Interestingly, 2 of the 3 patients developed anisometropic amblyopia due to the hyperopia of the affected eye, implying that the periocular facial paralysis may have affected the refraction of the eye through yet unspecified mechanisms. Therefore, the physicians who manage facial paralysis should keep this pathology in mind, and when they see pediatric patients with congenital facial paralysis involving the periocular region, they should consult an ophthalmologist as soon as possible. © 2016 S. Karger AG, Basel.

Hepatitis Diagnosis Using Facial Color Image

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Liu, Mingjia; Guo, Zhenhua

Facial color diagnosis is an important diagnostic method in traditional Chinese medicine (TCM). However, due to its qualitative, subjective and experi-ence-based nature, traditional facial color diagnosis has a very limited application in clinical medicine. To circumvent the subjective and qualitative problems of facial color diagnosis of Traditional Chinese Medicine, in this paper, we present a novel computer aided facial color diagnosis method (CAFCDM). The method has three parts: face Image Database, Image Preprocessing Module and Diagnosis Engine. Face Image Database is carried out on a group of 116 patients affected by 2 kinds of liver diseases and 29 healthy volunteers. The quantitative color feature is extracted from facial images by using popular digital image processing techni-ques. Then, KNN classifier is employed to model the relationship between the quantitative color feature and diseases. The results show that the method can properly identify three groups: healthy, severe hepatitis with jaundice and severe hepatitis without jaundice with accuracy higher than 73%.

Measuring facial expression of emotion.

PubMed

Wolf, Karsten

2015-12-01

Research into emotions has increased in recent decades, especially on the subject of recognition of emotions. However, studies of the facial expressions of emotion were compromised by technical problems with visible video analysis and electromyography in experimental settings. These have only recently been overcome. There have been new developments in the field of automated computerized facial recognition; allowing real-time identification of facial expression in social environments. This review addresses three approaches to measuring facial expression of emotion and describes their specific contributions to understanding emotion in the healthy population and in persons with mental illness. Despite recent progress, studies on human emotions have been hindered by the lack of consensus on an emotion theory suited to examining the dynamic aspects of emotion and its expression. Studying expression of emotion in patients with mental health conditions for diagnostic and therapeutic purposes will profit from theoretical and methodological progress.

Surgical Approaches to Facial Nerve Deficits

PubMed Central

Birgfeld, Craig; Neligan, Peter

2011-01-01

The facial nerve is one of the most commonly injured cranial nerves. Once injured, the effects on form, function, and psyche are profound. We review the anatomy of the facial nerve from the brain stem to its terminal branches. We also discuss the physical exam findings of facial nerve injury at various levels. Finally, we describe various reconstructive options for reanimating the face and restoring both form and function. PMID:22451822

Facial Emotions Recognition using Gabor Transform and Facial Animation Parameters with Neural Networks

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Harit, Aditya; Joshi, J. C., Col; Gupta, K. K.

2018-03-01

The paper proposed an automatic facial emotion recognition algorithm which comprises of two main components: feature extraction and expression recognition. The algorithm uses a Gabor filter bank on fiducial points to find the facial expression features. The resulting magnitudes of Gabor transforms, along with 14 chosen FAPs (Facial Animation Parameters), compose the feature space. There are two stages: the training phase and the recognition phase. Firstly, for the present 6 different emotions, the system classifies all training expressions in 6 different classes (one for each emotion) in the training stage. In the recognition phase, it recognizes the emotion by applying the Gabor bank to a face image, then finds the fiducial points, and then feeds it to the trained neural architecture.

A study on facial expressions recognition

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Xu, Jingjing

2017-09-01

In terms of communication, postures and facial expressions of such feelings like happiness, anger and sadness play important roles in conveying information. With the development of the technology, recently a number of algorithms dealing with face alignment, face landmark detection, classification, facial landmark localization and pose estimation have been put forward. However, there are a lot of challenges and problems need to be fixed. In this paper, a few technologies have been concluded and analyzed, and they all relate to handling facial expressions recognition and poses like pose-indexed based multi-view method for face alignment, robust facial landmark detection under significant head pose and occlusion, partitioning the input domain for classification, robust statistics face formalization.

Facial Morphogenesis of the Earliest Europeans

PubMed Central

Lacruz, Rodrigo S.; de Castro, José María Bermúdez; Martinón-Torres, María; O’Higgins, Paul; Paine, Michael L.; Carbonell, Eudald; Arsuaga, Juan Luis; Bromage, Timothy G.

2013-01-01

The modern human face differs from that of our early ancestors in that the facial profile is relatively retracted (orthognathic). This change in facial profile is associated with a characteristic spatial distribution of bone deposition and resorption: growth remodeling. For humans, surface resorption commonly dominates on anteriorly-facing areas of the subnasal region of the maxilla and mandible during development. We mapped the distribution of facial growth remodeling activities on the 900–800 ky maxilla ATD6-69 assigned to H. antecessor, and on the 1.5 My cranium KNM-WT 15000, part of an associated skeleton assigned to African H. erectus. We show that, as in H. sapiens, H. antecessor shows bone resorption over most of the subnasal region. This pattern contrasts with that seen in KNM-WT 15000 where evidence of bone deposition, not resorption, was identified. KNM-WT 15000 is similar to Australopithecus and the extant African apes in this localized area of bone deposition. These new data point to diversity of patterns of facial growth in fossil Homo. The similarities in facial growth in H. antecessor and H. sapiens suggest that one key developmental change responsible for the characteristic facial morphology of modern humans can be traced back at least to H. antecessor. PMID:23762314

Social anxiety and trustworthiness judgments of dynamic facial expressions of emotion.

PubMed

Gutiérrez-García, Aida; Calvo, Manuel G

2016-09-01

Perception of trustworthiness in other people is essential for successful social interaction. Facial expressions-as conveyers of feelings and intentions-are an important source of this information. We investigated how social anxiety is related to biases in the judgment of faces towards un/trustworthiness depending on type of emotional expression and expressive intensity. Undergraduates with clinical levels of social anxiety and low-anxiety controls were presented with 1-s video-clips displaying facial happiness, anger, fear, sadness, disgust, surprise, or neutrality, at various levels of emotional intensity. Participants judged how trustworthy the expressers looked like. Social anxiety was associated with enhanced distrust towards angry and disgusted expressions, and this occurred at lower intensity thresholds, relative to non-anxious controls. There was no effect for other negative expressions (sadness and fear), basically ambiguous expressions (surprise and neutral), or happy faces. The social anxiety and the control groups consisted of more females than males, although this gender disproportion was the same in both groups. Also, the expressive speed rate was different for the various intensity conditions, although such differences were equated for all the expressions and for both groups. Individuals with high social anxiety overestimate perceived social danger even from subtle facial cues, thus exhibiting a threat-related interpretative bias in the form of untrustworthiness judgments. Such a bias is, nevertheless, limited to facial expressions conveying direct threat such as hostility and rejection. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Peripheral facial weakness (Bell's palsy).

PubMed

Basić-Kes, Vanja; Dobrota, Vesna Dermanović; Cesarik, Marijan; Matovina, Lucija Zadro; Madzar, Zrinko; Zavoreo, Iris; Demarin, Vida

2013-06-01

Peripheral facial weakness is a facial nerve damage that results in muscle weakness on one side of the face. It may be idiopathic (Bell's palsy) or may have a detectable cause. Almost 80% of peripheral facial weakness cases are primary and the rest of them are secondary. The most frequent causes of secondary peripheral facial weakness are systemic viral infections, trauma, surgery, diabetes, local infections, tumor, immune disorders, drugs, degenerative diseases of the central nervous system, etc. The diagnosis relies upon the presence of typical signs and symptoms, blood chemistry tests, cerebrospinal fluid investigations, nerve conduction studies and neuroimaging methods (cerebral MRI, x-ray of the skull and mastoid). Treatment of secondary peripheral facial weakness is based on therapy for the underlying disorder, unlike the treatment of Bell's palsy that is controversial due to the lack of large, randomized, controlled, prospective studies. There are some indications that steroids or antiviral agents are beneficial but there are also studies that show no beneficial effect. Additional treatments include eye protection, physiotherapy, acupuncture, botulinum toxin, or surgery. Bell's palsy has a benign prognosis with complete recovery in about 80% of patients, 15% experience some mode of permanent nerve damage and severe consequences remain in 5% of patients.

Effect analysis of intradermal hyaluronic acid injection to treat enlarged facial pores.

PubMed

Qian, Wei; Zhang, Yan-Kun; Hou, Ying; Lyu, Wei; Cao, Qian; Li, Yan-Qi; Fan, Ju-Feng

2017-08-08

To investigate the clinical application and efficacy of intradermal injection of low molecular weight hyaluronic acid (LMW-HA) for treating enlarged facial pores. From January 2015 to May 2016, 42 subjects who sought aesthetic treatment underwent intradermal injection of LMW-HA to improve enlarged facial pores. For each treatment, 2.5 mL (25 mg) of LMW-HA was injected into the skin of the full face. The treatment was repeated 2-5 times with an interval of 1 to 1.5 months between consecutive treatments. The postoperative follow-up period was 1 to 6 months. Statistical analysis was used to compare the degree of enlargement of facial pores before and after injection. The clinical efficacy and adverse effects were recorded. The enlarged facial pores before and after treatment were categorized and subjected to the Wilcoxon matched-pairs signed-rank test. The difference was statistically significant (P<.01). The improvement rate was 40.03±18.41%. No infection, nodules, or pigmentation was reported at the injection sites in the subjects who sought aesthetic treatment. The overall satisfaction rate was 92.8%. Intradermal injection of LMW-HA can significantly improve skin texture, reduce pore size, and enhance skin radiance. The injection technique was simple, safe, and effective and could easily be extended to clinical practice. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Comparison of Direct Side-to-End and End-to-End Hypoglossal-Facial Anastomosis for Facial Nerve Repair.

PubMed

Samii, Madjid; Alimohamadi, Maysam; Khouzani, Reza Karimi; Rashid, Masoud Rafizadeh; Gerganov, Venelin

2015-08-01

The hypoglossal facial anastomosis (HFA) is the gold standard for facial reanimation in patients with severe facial nerve palsy. The major drawbacks of the classic HFA technique are lingual morbidities due to hypoglossal nerve transection. The side-to-end HFA is a modification of the classic technique with fewer tongue-related morbidities. In this study we compared the outcome of the classic end-to-end and the direct side-to-end HFA surgeries performed at our center in regards to the facial reanimation success rate and tongue-related morbidities. Twenty-six successive cases of HFA were enrolled. In 9 of them end-to-end anastomoses were performed, and 17 had direct side-to-end anastomoses. The House-Brackmann (HB) and Pitty and Tator (PT) scales were used to document surgical outcome. The hemiglossal atrophy, swallowing, and hypoglossal nerve function were assessed at follow-up. The original pathology was vestibular schwannoma in 15, meningioma in 4, brain stem glioma in 4, and other pathologies in 3. The mean interval between facial palsy and HFA was 18 months (range: 0-60). The median follow-up period was 20 months. The PT grade at follow-up was worse in patients with a longer interval from facial palsy and HFA (P value: 0.041). The lesion type was the only other factor that affected PT grade (the best results in vestibular schwannoma and the worst in the other pathologies group, P value: 0.038). The recovery period for facial tonicity was longer in patients with radiation therapy before HFA (13.5 vs. 8.5 months) and those with a longer than 2-year interval from facial palsy to HFA (13.5 vs. 8.5 months). Although no significant difference between the side-to-end and the end-to-end groups was seen in terms of facial nerve functional recovery, patients from the side-to-end group had a significantly lower rate of lingual morbidities (tongue hemiatrophy: 100% vs. 5.8%, swallowing difficulty: 55% vs. 11.7%, speech disorder 33% vs. 0%). With the side-to-end HFA

Effect of neuromuscular electrical stimulation on facial muscle strength and oral function in stroke patients with facial palsy

PubMed Central

Choi, Jong-Bae

2016-01-01

[Purpose] The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of neuromuscular electrical stimulation on facial muscle strength and oral function in stroke patients with facial palsy. [Subjects and Methods] Nine subjects received the electrical stimulation and traditional dysphagia therapy. Electrical stimulation was applied to stimulate each subject’s facial muscles 30 minutes a day, 5 days a week, for 4 weeks. [Results] Subjects showed significant improvement in cheek and lip strength and oral function after the intervention. [Conclusion] This study demonstrates that electrical stimulation improves facial muscle strength and oral function in stroke patients with dysphagia. PMID:27799689

Measurement of facial movements with Photoshop software during treatment of facial nerve palsy*

PubMed Central

Pourmomeny, Abbas Ali; Zadmehr, Hassan; Hossaini, Mohsen

2011-01-01

BACKGROUND: Evaluating the function of facial nerve is essential in order to determine the influences of various treatment methods. The aim of this study was to evaluate and assess the agreement of Photoshop scaling system versus the facial grading system (FGS). METHODS: In this semi-experimental study, thirty subjects with facial nerve paralysis were recruited. The evaluation of all patients before and after the treatment was performed by FGS and Photoshop measurements. RESULTS: The mean values of FGS before and after the treatment were 35 ± 25 and 67 ± 24, respectively (p < 0.001). In Photoshop assessment, mean changes of face expressions in the impaired side relative to the normal side in rest position and three main movements of the face were 3.4 ± 0.55 and 4.04 ± 0.49 millimeter before and after the treatment, respectively (p < 0.001). Spearman's correlation coefficient between different values in the two methods was 0.66 (p < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: Evaluating the facial nerve palsy using Photoshop was more objective than using FGS. Therefore, it may be recommended to use this method instead. PMID:22973325

Facial morphology and children's categorization of facial expressions of emotions: a comparison between Asian and Caucasian faces.

PubMed

Gosselin, P; Larocque, C

2000-09-01

The effects of Asian and Caucasian facial morphology were examined by having Canadian children categorize pictures of facial expressions of basic emotions. The pictures were selected from the Japanese and Caucasian Facial Expressions of Emotion set developed by D. Matsumoto and P. Ekman (1989). Sixty children between the ages of 5 and 10 years were presented with short stories and an array of facial expressions, and were asked to point to the expression that best depicted the specific emotion experienced by the characters. The results indicated that expressions of fear and surprise were better categorized from Asian faces, whereas expressions of disgust were better categorized from Caucasian faces. These differences originated in some specific confusions between expressions.

Hereditary family signature of facial expression

PubMed Central

Peleg, Gili; Katzir, Gadi; Peleg, Ofer; Kamara, Michal; Brodsky, Leonid; Hel-Or, Hagit; Keren, Daniel; Nevo, Eviatar

2006-01-01

Although facial expressions of emotion are universal, individual differences create a facial expression “signature” for each person; but, is there a unique family facial expression signature? Only a few family studies on the heredity of facial expressions have been performed, none of which compared the gestalt of movements in various emotional states; they compared only a few movements in one or two emotional states. No studies, to our knowledge, have compared movements of congenitally blind subjects with their relatives to our knowledge. Using two types of analyses, we show a correlation between movements of congenitally blind subjects with those of their relatives in think-concentrate, sadness, anger, disgust, joy, and surprise and provide evidence for a unique family facial expression signature. In the analysis “in-out family test,” a particular movement was compared each time across subjects. Results show that the frequency of occurrence of a movement of a congenitally blind subject in his family is significantly higher than that outside of his family in think-concentrate, sadness, and anger. In the analysis “the classification test,” in which congenitally blind subjects were classified to their families according to the gestalt of movements, results show 80% correct classification over the entire interview and 75% in anger. Analysis of the movements' frequencies in anger revealed a correlation between the movements' frequencies of congenitally blind individuals and those of their relatives. This study anticipates discovering genes that influence facial expressions, understanding their evolutionary significance, and elucidating repair mechanisms for syndromes lacking facial expression, such as autism. PMID:17043232

[A young woman with central facial nerve palsy].

PubMed

Broere, Christiaan M; de Witte, B R René; Claes, J F H M Franka

2014-01-01

The distinction between central and peripheral facial nerve palsy can be difficult but is very important for the workup and treatment. A tumefactive demyelinating lesion (TDL) is a rare condition that can sometimes cause diagnostic difficulties due to its similarity to a brain tumour. We present a 20-year-old female patient who visited her GP with a discrete right-sided drooping corner of her mouth. The GP started treatment with oral glucorticoids because of presumed Bell's palsy and referred her to the neurology outpatient clinic. Repeated neurological examination showed central facial palsy on the right side of the face. An MRI study of the brain revealed a single large contrast-enhanced abnormality in the left hemisphere that was diagnosed as TDL after exclusion of other causes. In view of the limited number of clinical symptoms, an expectative policy was conducted. The patient recovered spontaneously and repeated MRI studies showed partial regression of TDL. TDL is often considered to be a first presentation of multiple sclerosis. Accurate analysis with MRI can help in making a diagnosis without the need for a biopsy.

Facial nerve mapping and monitoring in lymphatic malformation surgery.

PubMed

Chiara, Jospeh; Kinney, Greg; Slimp, Jefferson; Lee, Gi Soo; Oliaei, Sepehr; Perkins, Jonathan A

2009-10-01

Establish the efficacy of preoperative facial nerve mapping and continuous intraoperative EMG monitoring in protecting the facial nerve during resection of cervicofacial lymphatic malformations. Retrospective study in which patients were clinically followed for at least 6 months postoperatively, and long-term outcome was evaluated. Patient demographics, lesion characteristics (i.e., size, stage, location) were recorded. Operative notes revealed surgical techniques, findings, and complications. Preoperative, short-/long-term postoperative facial nerve function was standardized using the House-Brackmann Classification. Mapping was done prior to incision by percutaneously stimulating the facial nerve and its branches and recording the motor responses. Intraoperative monitoring and mapping were accomplished using a four-channel, free-running EMG. Neurophysiologists continuously monitored EMG responses and blindly analyzed intraoperative findings and final EMG interpretations for abnormalities. Seven patients collectively underwent 8 lymphatic malformation surgeries. Median age was 30 months (2-105 months). Lymphatic malformation diagnosis was recorded in 6/8 surgeries. Facial nerve function was House-Brackmann grade I in 8/8 cases preoperatively. Facial nerve was abnormally elongated in 1/8 cases. EMG monitoring recorded abnormal activity in 4/8 cases--two suggesting facial nerve irritation, and two with possible facial nerve damage. Transient or long-term facial nerve paresis occurred in 1/8 cases (House-Brackmann grade II). Preoperative facial nerve mapping combined with continuous intraoperative EMG and mapping is a successful method of identifying the facial nerve course and protecting it from injury during resection of cervicofacial lymphatic malformations involving the facial nerve.

Influence of facial convexity on facial attractiveness in Japanese.

PubMed

Ioi, H; Nakata, S; Nakasima, A; Counts, Al

2007-11-01

The purpose of this study was to assess and determine the range of the top three most-favored facial profiles for each sex from a series of varying facial convexity, and to evaluate the clinically acceptable facial profiles for Japanese adults. Questionnaire-based study. Silhouettes of average male and female profiles were constructed from the profiles of 30 Japanese males and females with normal occlusions. Chin positions were protruded or retruded by 2 degrees , 4 degrees , 6 degrees , 8 degrees and 10 degrees , respectively, from the average profile. Forty-one orthodontists and 50 dental students were asked to select the three most-favored profiles for each sex, and they were also asked to indicate whether they would seek surgical orthodontic treatment if that image represented their own profile. For males, both the orthodontists and dental students chose the average profile as the most-favored profile. For females, both the orthodontists and dental students chose a slightly more retruded chin position as the most-favored profile. Japanese raters tended to choose class II profiles as more acceptable profiles than class III profiles for both males and females. These findings suggest that Japanese patients with class III profiles tend to seek surgical orthodontic treatment more often.

Facial paralysis due to an occult parotid abscess.

PubMed

Orhan, Kadir Serkan; Demirel, Tayfun; Kocasoy-Orhan, Elif; Yenigül, Kubilay

2008-01-01

Facial paralysis associated with benign diseases of the parotid gland is very rare. It has been reported in approximately 16 cases of acute suppurative parotitis or parotid abscess. We presented a 45-year-old woman who developed facial paralysis secondary to an occult parotid abscess. Initially, there was no facial paralysis and the signs and symptoms were suggestive of acute parotitis, for which medical treatment was initiated. Three days later, left-sided facial palsy of HB (House-Brackmann) grade 5 developed. Ultrasonography revealed a pretragal, hypoechoic mass, 10x8 mm in size, causing inflammation in the surrounding tissue. Fine needle aspiration biopsy obtained from the mass revealed polymorphonuclear leukocytes and lymphocytes. No malignant cells were observed. The lesion was diagnosed as an occult parotid abscess. After a week, the mass disappeared and facial paralysis improved to HB grade 4. At the end of the first month, facial paralysis improved to HB grade 1. At three months, facial nerve function was nearly normal.

Electrical and transcranial magnetic stimulation of the facial nerve: diagnostic relevance in acute isolated facial nerve palsy.

PubMed

Happe, Svenja; Bunten, Sabine

2012-01-01

Unilateral facial weakness is common. Transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) allows identification of a conduction failure at the level of the canalicular portion of the facial nerve and may help to confirm the diagnosis. We retrospectively analyzed 216 patients with the diagnosis of peripheral facial palsy. The electrophysiological investigations included the blink reflex, preauricular electrical stimulation and the response to TMS at the labyrinthine part of the canalicular proportion of the facial nerve within 3 days after symptom onset. A similar reduction or loss of the TMS amplitude (p < 0.005) of the affected side was seen in each patient group. Of the 216 patients (107 female, mean age 49.7 ± 18.0 years), 193 were diagnosed with Bell's palsy. Test results of the remaining patients led to the diagnosis of infectious [including herpes simplex, varicella zoster infection and borreliosis (n = 13)] and noninfectious [including diabetes and neoplasma (n = 10)] etiology. A conduction block in TMS supports the diagnosis of peripheral facial palsy without being specific for Bell's palsy. These data shed light on the TMS-based diagnosis of peripheral facial palsy, an ability to localize the site of lesion within the Fallopian channel regardless of the underlying pathology. Copyright © 2012 S. Karger AG, Basel.

The neurosurgical treatment of neuropathic facial pain.

PubMed

Brown, Jeffrey A

2014-04-01

This article reviews the definition, etiology and evaluation, and medical and neurosurgical treatment of neuropathic facial pain. A neuropathic origin for facial pain should be considered when evaluating a patient for rhinologic surgery because of complaints of facial pain. Neuropathic facial pain is caused by vascular compression of the trigeminal nerve in the prepontine cistern and is characterized by an intermittent prickling or stabbing component or a constant burning, searing pain. Medical treatment consists of anticonvulsant medication. Neurosurgical treatment may require microvascular decompression of the trigeminal nerve. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

SU-D-207-01: Markerless Respiratory Motion Tracking with Contrast Enhanced Thoracic Cone Beam CT Projections

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Chao, M; Yuan, Y; Rosenzweig, K

2015-06-15

Purpose: To develop a novel technique to enhance the image contrast of clinical cone beam CT projections and extract respiratory signals based on anatomical motion using the modified Amsterdam Shroud (AS) method to benefit image guided radiation therapy. Methods: Thoracic cone beam CT projections acquired prior to treatment were preprocessed to increase their contrast for better respiratory signal extraction. Air intensity on raw images was firstly estimated and then applied to correct the projections to generate new attenuation images that were subsequently improved with deeper anatomy feature enhancement through taking logarithm operation, derivative along superior-inferior direction, respectively. All pixels onmore » individual post-processed two dimensional images were horizontally summed to one column and all projections were combined side by side to create an AS image from which patient’s respiratory signal was extracted. The impact of gantry rotation on the breathing signal rendering was also investigated. Ten projection image sets from five lung cancer patients acquired with the Varian Onboard Imager on 21iX Clinac (Varian Medical Systems, Palo Alto, CA) were employed to assess the proposed technique. Results: Application of the air correction on raw projections showed that more than an order of magnitude of contrast enhancement was achievable. The typical contrast on the raw projections is around 0.02 while that on attenuation images could greater than 0.5. Clear and stable breathing signal can be reliably extracted from the new images while the uncorrected projection sets failed to yield clear signals most of the time. Conclusion: Anatomy feature plays a key role in yielding breathing signal from the projection images using the AS technique. The air correction process facilitated the contrast enhancement significantly and attenuation images thus obtained provides a practical solution to obtaining markerless breathing motion tracking.« less

Facial recognition in children after perinatal stroke.

PubMed

Ballantyne, A O; Trauner, D A

1999-04-01

To examine the effects of prenatal or perinatal stroke on the facial recognition skills of children and young adults. It was hypothesized that the nature and extent of facial recognition deficits seen in patients with early-onset lesions would be different from that seen in adults with later-onset neurologic impairment. Numerous studies with normal and neurologically impaired adults have found a right-hemisphere superiority for facial recognition. In contrast, little is known about facial recognition in children after early focal brain damage. Forty subjects had single, unilateral brain lesions from pre- or perinatal strokes (20 had left-hemisphere damage, and 20 had right-hemisphere damage), and 40 subjects were controls who were individually matched to the lesion subjects on the basis of age, sex, and socioeconomic status. Each subject was given the Short-Form of Benton's Test of Facial Recognition. Data were analyzed using the Wilcoxon matched-pairs signed-rank test and multiple regression. The lesion subjects performed significantly more poorly than did matched controls. There was no clear-cut lateralization effect, with the left-hemisphere group performing significantly more poorly than matched controls and the right-hemisphere group showing a trend toward poorer performance. Parietal lobe involvement, regardless of lesion side, adversely affected facial recognition performance in the lesion group. Results could not be accounted for by IQ differences between lesion and control groups, nor was lesion severity systematically related to facial recognition performance. Pre- or perinatal unilateral brain damage results in a subtle disturbance in facial recognition ability, independent of the side of the lesion. Parietal lobe involvement, in particular, has an adverse effect on facial recognition skills. These findings suggest that the parietal lobes may be involved in the acquisition of facial recognition ability from a very early point in brain development, but

Facial palsy after dental procedures - Is viral reactivation responsible?

PubMed

Gaudin, Robert A; Remenschneider, Aaron K; Phillips, Katie; Knipfer, Christian; Smeets, Ralf; Heiland, Max; Hadlock, Tessa A

2017-01-01

Herpes labialis viral reactivation has been reported following dental procedures, but the incidence, characteristics and outcomes of delayed peripheral facial nerve palsy following dental work is poorly understood. Herein we describe the unique features of delayed facial paresis following dental procedures. An institutional retrospective review was performed to identify patients diagnosed with delayed facial nerve palsy within 30 days of dental manipulation. Demographics, prodromal signs and symptoms, initial medical treatment and outcomes were assessed. Of 2471 patients with facial palsy, 16 (0.7%) had delayed facial paresis following ipsilateral dental procedures. Average age at presentation was 44 yrs and 56% (9/16) were female. Clinical evaluation was consistent with Bell's palsy in 14 (88%) and Ramsay-Hunt syndrome in 2 patients (12%). Patients developed facial paresis an average of 3.9 days after the dental procedure, with all individuals developing a flaccid paralysis (House Brackmann (HB) grade VI) during the acute stage. 50% of patients developed persistent facial palsy in the form of non-flaccid facial paralysis (HBIII-IV). Facial palsy, like herpes labialis, can occur in the days following dental procedures and may also be related to viral reactivation. In this small cohort, long-term facial outcomes appear worse than for spontaneous Bell's palsy. Copyright © 2016 European Association for Cranio-Maxillo-Facial Surgery. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Regional facial asymmetries and attractiveness of the face.

PubMed

Kaipainen, Anu E; Sieber, Kevin R; Nada, Rania M; Maal, Thomas J; Katsaros, Christos; Fudalej, Piotr S

2016-12-01

Facial attractiveness is an important factor in our social interactions. It is still not entirely clear which factors influence the attractiveness of a face and facial asymmetry appears to play a certain role. The aim of the present study was to assess the association between facial attractiveness and regional facial asymmetries evaluated on three-dimensional (3D) images. 3D facial images of 59 (23 male, 36 female) young adult patients (age 16-25 years) before orthodontic treatment were evaluated for asymmetry. The same 3D images were presented to 12 lay judges who rated the attractiveness of each subject on a 100mm visual analogue scale. Reliability of the method was assessed with Bland-Altman plots and Cronbach's alpha coefficient. All subjects showed a certain amount of asymmetry in all regions of the face; most asymmetry was found in the chin and cheek areas and less in the lip, nose and forehead areas. No statistically significant differences in regional facial asymmetries were found between male and female subjects (P > 0.05). Regression analyses demonstrated that the judgement of facial attractiveness was not influenced by absolute regional facial asymmetries when gender, facial width-to-height ratio and type of malocclusion were controlled (P > 0.05). A potential limitation of the study could be that other biologic and cultural factors influencing the perception of facial attractiveness were not controlled for. A small amount of asymmetry was present in all subjects assessed in this study, and asymmetry of this magnitude may not influence the assessment of facial attractiveness. © The Author 2015. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the European Orthodontic Society. All rights reserved. For permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oup.com.