title: Right frontal cortical lesions disrupt anger mimicry.
abstract: The current study investigates the neural substrates of facial expression mimicry by assessing individuals with right and left lateralised frontal cortical lesions. Electromyography was used to measure spontaneous changes in electrical activity over the corrugator supercilii (brow) and zygomaticus major (cheek) muscle regions in response to happy and angry facial expressions. Individuals with right (n=4) and left (n=5) frontal cortical lesions and demographically matched controls (n=9) were compared. It was shown that while all three groups mimic happy facial expressions, only controls and individuals with left frontal lesions mimic angry expressions. These data are consistent with evidence for right frontal cortical specialisation for the processing of anger.
authors.affiliation: School of Social Sciences and Psychology, University of Western Sydney, Penrith, NSW 2751, Australia. p.bailey@uws.edu.au
authors.forename: Phoebe E
authors.initials: PE
authors.lastname: Bailey
authors.forename: Julie D
authors.initials: JD
authors.lastname: Henry
authors.forename: Kandice J
authors.initials: KJ
authors.lastname: Varcin
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D000786:Anger / Q000502:physiology*; D001930:Brain Injuries / Q000473:pathology* / Q000503:physiopathology; D004576:Electromyography; D019054:Evoked Potentials, Motor / Q000502:physiology; D005149:Facial Expression; D005152:Facial Muscles / Q000294:innervation / Q000502:physiology; D005260:Female; D005625:Frontal Lobe / Q000503:physiopathology*; D007839:Functional Laterality / Q000502:physiology*; D006801:Humans; D007100:Imitative Behavior; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010775:Photic Stimulation