Strengthening Facial Expression and Emotional Awareness Through Eye-Brain Exercises
One of the often-overlooked symptoms of Parkinson’s disease is a reduced ability to express emotion through the face—commonly called facial masking. This flattening of facial expression can make people appear uninterested, tired, or even upset when they are not. It can also interfere with social connection and self-confidence. But new insights in brain science show that eye movements may hold the key to reactivating emotional expression and awareness.
Our facial muscles and our eyes are controlled by overlapping brain systems, especially within the frontal lobe, basal ganglia, and limbic system—areas that regulate both movement and emotion. When eye movement slows down or becomes restricted in Parkinson’s, it doesn’t just affect how we see the world—it also disrupts how we connect with others, interpret emotional cues, and express our own feelings. In short, the “window to the soul” starts to close.
The good news is that eye movement exercises can help reignite these neural pathways. Studies have shown that purposeful eye movements—like looking up, scanning side to side, or tracking visual targets—activate parts of the brain that also control emotional response and facial muscle activity (Kano et al., 2015). Training the eyes can stimulate these shared networks, helping to restore the natural rhythm of expression and emotional awareness.
This is where the BrainSpeed Ball® adds unique value. As users follow the ball visually, identify colors or letters, and react out loud, they are engaging multiple sensory systems at once. This includes the circuits responsible for visual focus, vocal output, and emotional tone. The playful, alert nature of the activity helps “wake up” the face and voice, encouraging more dynamic, emotionally connected responses.
If Parkinson’s has dulled your facial expression or made it harder to connect emotionally, eye-brain training offers a powerful, drug-free way to rebuild those connections. With tools like the BrainSpeed Ball®, you can tap into the brain’s natural pathways for movement and emotion—and begin to bring expression, connection, and vitality back to the face.
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Sources:
Kano, Y., Ito, K., & Fukuda, M. (2015). Brain activity during voluntary facial expression of emotion: An fMRI study. NeuroReport, 26(2), 71–75. https://doi.org/10.1097/WNR.0000000000000318
Assogna, F., Pontieri, F. E., Caltagirone, C., & Spalletta, G. (2008). The recognition of facial emotion expressions in Parkinson’s disease. European Neuropsychopharmacology, 18(11), 835–846. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.euroneuro.2008.07.006