Brain Injury

Analysing research has demonstrated a large number of perspectives on hemispheric preference of facial recognition. The right hemisphere is indicated to be the part of the brain responsible for processing visual information in comparison to the left hemisphere which is more for language and analytical processing. Studies such as the preference test have reinforced this. Other studies on hemispheric preference include examining emotions, facial memory, facial features encouraging hemispherical preference and the impact of brain injury on hemispherical functioning. Hemispheric preference for facial recognition usually resides within the right hemisphere but further analysis of studies has shown varying perspectives.

Through examining evidence
A brain injury study has focused on analysing the difference in facial recognition and emotional expression for patients with cerebrovascular accidents, affecting either the right or left hemisphere. The method of the study conducted included the participation of ten left-hemisphere CVA patients (LCVA) and ten right hemisphere CVA patients (RCVA) (Bowen & McDonald, 2002, p.44). Subjects were tested within a rehabilitation unit or home environment and were required to identify the emotion from photographs, and videotaped scenes (Bowen & McDonald, 2002, p.48). This aimed to identify whether lateralised brain damage affects the perception of emotional stimuli and thus its impact on facial recognition. Hemispherical pathology did not necessarily contribute to any significant difference in processing emotions represented in photos and videotapes. One single case study of a 72 year old man, named EP, who suffered from a recent right parieto-occipital infarct as determined by an MRI scan (Bowen & McDonald, 2002, p.49), demonstrated impaired recognition of negative emotions in comparison to positive emotions when introduced to different emotions from videotaped scenes. EP labelled 100% of the positive emotional facial expression correctly, but struggled with identifying negative emotional facial expression, with only achieving 63% correctly (Bowen & McDonald, 2002, p.50). This single case study supports the notion that the right hemisphere has greater capability in identifying emotions and has more input in recognising negative emotions, than the left