They attach to facial skin. On contraction they change the shape of the mouth, eyes, or nose, etc.

University of Michigan - Ann Arbor

- Two categories of facial muscles
- Two cranial nerves
- Facial feedback hypothesis
- Impaired facial expression

Facial expressions are mediated by muscles, cranial nerves, and CNS pathways

Breedlove, S. & Watson, N. (2017). Behavioral neuroscience, eighth edition. Oxford University Press.

Behavioral Neuroscience 8th Edition

Superficial facial muscles

They attach to bone. They enable movements such as chewing and large movements of the face.

Deep facial muscles

It receives information from the face and controls the superficial facial muscles.

Facial nerve (VII)

Its main function is to receives information from the face and controls jaw musculature.
"large three part nerve in your head that provides sensation" (Trigeminal Neuralgia - Symptoms and Causes - Mayo Clinic, 2022)
It is one of the largest cranial nerves and it is made up of the opthalmic, maxillary, and mandibular nerves

Trigeminal nerve (V)

It suggests that sensory feedback from our facial expressions can affect our mood.

Facial feedback hypothesis

- Chronic inhibition of the facial musculature (symptom of Parkinson's disease, schizophrenia)
- Viral infection, cause paralysis of facial muscles (Bell's palsy)

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