title: Quality of life differences in patients with right- versus left-sided facial paralysis: Universal preference of right-sided human face recognition.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  We investigated whether experiencing right- or left-sided facial paralysis would affect an individual's ability to recognize one side of the human face using hybrid hemi-facial photos by preliminary study. Further investigation looked at the relationship between facial recognition ability, stress, and quality of life.
  
  
  METHODS
  To investigate predominance of one side of the human face for face recognition, 100 normal participants (right-handed: n = 97, left-handed: n = 3, right brain dominance: n = 56, left brain dominance: n = 44) answered a questionnaire that included hybrid hemi-facial photos developed to determine decide superiority of one side for human face recognition. To determine differences of stress level and quality of life between individuals experiencing right- and left-sided facial paralysis, 100 patients (right side:50, left side:50, not including traumatic facial nerve paralysis) answered a questionnaire about facial disability index test and quality of life (SF-36 Korean version).
  
  
  RESULTS
  Regardless of handedness or hemispheric dominance, the proportion of predominance of the right side in human face recognition was larger than the left side (71% versus 12%, neutral: 17%). Facial distress index of the patients with right-sided facial paralysis was lower than that of left-sided patients (68.8 ± 9.42 versus 76.4 ± 8.28), and the SF-36 scores of right-sided patients were lower than left-sided patients (119.07 ± 15.24 versus 123.25 ± 16.48, total score: 166).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Universal preference for the right side in human face recognition showed worse psychological mood and social interaction in patients with right-side facial paralysis than left-sided paralysis. This information is helpful to clinicians in that psychological and social factors should be considered when treating patients with facial-paralysis.
authors.affiliation: Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Inje University College of Medicine, Republic of Korea.
authors.forename: Nam Gyu
authors.initials: NG
authors.lastname: Ryu
authors.affiliation: Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Inje University College of Medicine, Republic of Korea.
authors.forename: Byung Woo
authors.initials: BW
authors.lastname: Lim
authors.affiliation: Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Inje University College of Medicine, Republic of Korea.
authors.forename: Jae Keun
authors.initials: JK
authors.lastname: Cho
authors.affiliation: Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Inje University College of Medicine, Republic of Korea. Electronic address: jinsound@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Jin
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Kim
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D005149:Facial Expression; D005158:Facial Paralysis / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000523:psychology*; D005260:Female; D007839:Functional Laterality / Q000502:physiology*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D011788:Quality of Life; D021641:Recognition, Psychology / Q000502:physiology*
keywords: Facial palsy; Laterality; Quality of life; Recognition; Right side