We use our facial muscles for vital functions such as eating, speaking and protecting our eyes. But the play of our facial expressions is also of great importance for social interaction: a baby's first smile, its first cry, securing its place in the family. Many of these functions are innate and involuntary and therefore work across many boundaries. This makes it all the more noticeable when this communication channel is disrupted. Be it through masks, or through functional failures of the facial nerves or facial muscles. These disorders and their treatment are being investigated in a cooperation between the FB Motorik and the Fazialis-Nerv-Zentrum Jena, which has existed for several years. 3D videos and surface electromyograms, which precisely examine the activity of the muscles spatially and temporally, should help to understand the interaction of the 23 mimic muscles and to better treat their disorders. A two-week intensive training program developed at the Facial Nerve Center Jena is being evaluated using these techniques. Surgical techniques, such as nerve sutures or the use of botulinum toxin, can also be studied using electromyography. Visitors can try out the techniques on themselves and watch their own facial muscles at work. The scientific background as well as the clinical significance will be explained in hourly lectures.
Further information can be found on the homepage of the Facial Nerve Center Jena