Jove
Visualize
Contact Us
JoVE
x logofacebook logolinkedin logoyoutube logo
ABOUT JoVE
OverviewLeadershipBlogJoVE Help Center
AUTHORS
Publishing ProcessEditorial BoardScope & PoliciesPeer ReviewFAQSubmit
LIBRARIANS
TestimonialsSubscriptionsAccessResourcesLibrary Advisory BoardFAQ
RESEARCH
JoVE JournalMethods CollectionsJoVE Encyclopedia of ExperimentsArchive
EDUCATION
JoVE CoreJoVE BusinessJoVE Science EducationJoVE Lab ManualFaculty Resource CenterFaculty Site
Terms & Conditions of Use
Privacy Policy
Policies

Related Concept Videos

Autism Spectrum Disorder01:19

Autism Spectrum Disorder

931
Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a neurodevelopmental condition marked by persistent deficits in social communication and interaction alongside restrictive and repetitive behaviors or interests. ASD is sometimes accompanied by intellectual impairment.
These core symptoms manifest differently among individuals, ranging from mild to severe. The disorder's complexity extends beyond its clinical presentation, encompassing a diverse range of biological, cognitive, and sociocultural influences.
931
Facial Feedback Hypothesis01:24

Facial Feedback Hypothesis

555
Charles Darwin proposed that facial expressions are an evolutionary adaptation for communication. He argued that these expressions are not influenced by culture but are universal across species. For example, a snarling expression with exposed teeth signals a threat in many animals, including humans. Darwin also suggested that displaying an emotion can intensify the feeling. Smiling, for example, could enhance one's sense of happiness. This idea laid the foundation for understanding the role...
555
Emotional Expression01:26

Emotional Expression

910
Emotional expression encompasses how individuals convey their emotions through verbal communication and non-verbal cues. These non-verbal actions include facial expressions, body language, and physical gestures, such as frowning or smiling. Among these, facial expressions play a crucial role in emotional expression and are understood universally, indicating a biological basis for how humans communicate emotions.
Universal Facial Expressions
Psychologist Paul Ekman identified seven basic...
910
Muscles for Facial Expressions01:14

Muscles for Facial Expressions

4.6K
The craniofacial muscles are a collection of approximately 20 thin skeletal muscles situated beneath the skin of the face and scalp. These muscles, primarily responsible for the vast array of human facial expressions, originate from the bones or fibrous structures of the skull and extend outwards to connect with the skin. While most skeletal muscles in the body are enveloped in thick fascia, facial muscles generally have a more delicate fascial covering, with the buccinator muscle being a...
4.6K
Modeling in Therapy01:26

Modeling in Therapy

368
Modeling, a key technique in therapy, uses observational learning to help clients acquire and practice new skills by watching therapists demonstrate desired behaviors. This approach, rooted in Albert Bandura's concept of vicarious learning, plays a significant role in therapeutic interventions for various psychological conditions, including social anxiety, ADHD, and depression.
Participant Modeling
Participant modeling involves therapists demonstrating calm and effective behaviors in...
368
Prosopagnosia01:24

Prosopagnosia

679
Prosopagnosia, also known as face blindness, is the inability to recognize faces. In severe cases, individuals with prosopagnosia may not recognize close family members, including parents and spouses, by their faces. For instance, someone with prosopagnosia might walk past their child in a crowd, only realizing their mistake upon noticing their child's distinctive backpack or favorite jacket. Prosopagnosia specifically impairs facial recognition, while the recognition of other objects or...
679

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by
Same authorSame journal

Calibration of MRI-based reference intervals to new samples.

Imaging neuroscience (Cambridge, Mass.)·2026
Same author

Charting Cervical Spinal Cord Morphometry Across the Lifespan.

bioRxiv : the preprint server for biology·2026
Same author

Quantifying Evidence for Competing Biomedical Hypotheses using Large Language Models and Bayesian Analysis.

bioRxiv : the preprint server for biology·2026
Same author

Publisher Correction: White matter micro- and macrostructure brain charts for the human lifespan.

Nature·2026
Same author

The Association Between Motor and Social Skills in Young Autistic Children Enrolled in the Study to Explore Early Development.

Autism : the international journal of research and practice·2026
Same author

White matter micro- and macrostructure brain charts for the human lifespan.

Nature·2026

Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jan 11, 2026

Conscious and Non-conscious Representations of Emotional Faces in Asperger's Syndrome
08:31

Conscious and Non-conscious Representations of Emotional Faces in Asperger's Syndrome

Published on: July 31, 2016

14.4K

A sensorimotor basis for facial expressivity differences in autism.

Kimberly S Bress1,2, Jennifer Quinde-Zilbut2, Alisa R Zoltowski3

  • 1Vanderbilt Brain Institute, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, United States.

Imaging Neuroscience (Cambridge, Mass.)
|November 13, 2025
PubMed
Summary

Autism is linked to altered facial expressions due to sensorimotor differences. This study reveals unique brain connectivity patterns in autistic individuals, impacting facial communication and suggesting new therapeutic targets.

Keywords:
autismfacial expressionfunctional connectivityprimary motor cortex (M1)primary somatosensory cortex (S1)sensorimotor behavior

More Related Videos

Comparing Eye-tracking Data of Children with High-functioning ASD, Comorbid ADHD, and of a Control Watching Social Videos
05:32

Comparing Eye-tracking Data of Children with High-functioning ASD, Comorbid ADHD, and of a Control Watching Social Videos

Published on: December 7, 2018

9.5K
Testing Sensory and Multisensory Function in Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder
09:13

Testing Sensory and Multisensory Function in Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder

Published on: April 22, 2015

17.0K

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: Jan 11, 2026

Conscious and Non-conscious Representations of Emotional Faces in Asperger's Syndrome
08:31

Conscious and Non-conscious Representations of Emotional Faces in Asperger's Syndrome

Published on: July 31, 2016

14.4K
Comparing Eye-tracking Data of Children with High-functioning ASD, Comorbid ADHD, and of a Control Watching Social Videos
05:32

Comparing Eye-tracking Data of Children with High-functioning ASD, Comorbid ADHD, and of a Control Watching Social Videos

Published on: December 7, 2018

9.5K
Testing Sensory and Multisensory Function in Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder
09:13

Testing Sensory and Multisensory Function in Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder

Published on: April 22, 2015

17.0K

Area of Science:

  • Neuroscience
  • Autism Research
  • Social Communication

Background:

  • Facial expression differences are a key social communication barrier in autism.
  • Neural pathways for facial motor control and sensorimotor feedback are poorly understood.
  • Disrupted sensorimotor feedback is a potential factor in autism-related communication challenges.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To characterize resting-state functional connectivity (rs-FC) between the primary somatosensory (S1) and motor (M1) cortices in autistic and nonautistic individuals.
  • To investigate the link between sensorimotor connectivity and facial behavior in autism.
  • To explore the sensorimotor basis of altered facial expressivity in autism.

Main Methods:

  • Utilized resting-state functional connectivity (rs-FC) analysis.
  • Examined S1-M1 connectivity for upper and lower face representations.
  • Replicated findings in an independent, large, open-source neuroimaging dataset.

Main Results:

  • rs-FC showed somatotopic patterning for the lower face but not the upper face in both groups.
  • Upper face actions were selectively diminished in individuals with autism.
  • The relationship between sensorimotor connectivity and facial behavior differed between autistic and nonautistic individuals.

Conclusions:

  • The study provides the first direct evidence of a sensorimotor basis for altered facial expressivity in autism.
  • Findings challenge existing assumptions about the mechanisms underlying communication barriers in autism.
  • Identified potential new targets for therapeutic interventions aimed at improving social communication.