Emotional Movements: Beyond the Corticobulbar Tract
This lecture segment explores emotional movements, the second category of self-generated movements.
Key Points
- Emotional movements are expressed through facial expressions and posture.
- The corticobulbar tract controls volitional facial movements, but not emotional expressions.
- A patient with a corticobulbar tract lesion (stroke damage) cannot smile on command (volitional) but can smile genuinely (emotional).
- Emotional movements use separate pathways called extrapyramidal pathways, less understood than corticobulbar tracts.
- Our resting facial expressions also reflect emotions, not volitional control.
- Emotional expressions in art (Burghers of Calais) and animals (Gris-Gris) highlight this universality.
- Actors use facial expressions to portray emotions, even sarcasm (mismatch between words and expression).
- Body posture also conveys emotions (e.g., slumped vs. upright posture).
Additional Notes
- The lecture emphasizes the distinction between volitional and emotional control of facial expressions.
- We can gain insight into our own emotions by checking our facial expressions and posture.
- The concept of embodied emotions is introduced - our emotions are reflected in our physical state.