The candidate for this Mentored Research Scientist Development Award is researching facial signaling and its association with psychiatric morbidity in patients with facial nerve dysfunction. The environment is an excellent combination of mentor and consultants with clinical and technical expertise, and facilities for assessing large numbers of facial nerve patients. The candidate will receive advanced training in psychological assessment and clinical aspects of facial nerve disorders. A coordinated career development program with sponsor and consultants having expertise in facial expression and movement, psychiatric diagnosis, and statistical methods will contribute to training and career development of the candidate. The broad long-term objective is to understand the impact of facial nerve dysfunction and facial signaling on the psychological and social functioning of facial nerve patients. Ultimately, the goal is to understand the physical, psychological and social factors that put facial nerve patients at risk for depression, anxiety, and other mental illness. The short-term objective is to understand the nature of the relationship between impaired facial movement and current psychological symptoms and social disability. The correspondence of facial nerve dysfunction to psychiatric morbidity and social disability, and personality and social characteristics affecting this relationship, will be investigated. The research design combines objective measurement of facial movement including automated analysis of facial expression, and the analysis of social participation/integration, personality and social factors, and psychiatric symptoms.
