Faces and their aesthetic appreciation are a core element of social interaction. Although studies have been made on facial processing when looking at faces with different perspectives, a direct comparison of faces in the left to the right perspective is missing. Portraits in classical Western art indicate a preference of the left compared to the right perspective, but the neural underpinnings of such an asymmetry still have to be clarified. Using functional magnetic resonance imaging, the current study focuses on the processing of three-quarter faces seen with different perspectives. Seventeen participants were asked to passively look at photographs of six male and six female faces with a neutral expression; the photographs were taken from the left, right, and frontal perspectives while keeping their focus on the eyes. The results showed that specific brain areas were involved in processing the three-quarter faces in either symmetric or asymmetric ways. Viewing left and right three-quarter faces resulted in two mirror-like activations in the striate cortex corresponding to the symmetric layout of the left and right perspectives. Viewing the left face resulted additionally in an enhanced activation also in the left extrastriate cortex. The right perspective of male faces elicited a lower activation compared to other perspectives in face-selective areas of the brain. Our findings suggest that the preference of the left three-quarter face emerges already in the early visual pathway presumably prior to facial identification, emotional processing, and aesthetic appreciation. Our observations may have general importance in disentangling different neural components and processing stages in the spatiotemporal characteristics of artistic expressions.

• Keywords
• aesthetic, face perception, functional magnetic resonance imaging, hemifaces, lateralization,
• MeSH
• Emotions physiology   MeSH
• Esthetics MeSH
• Humans MeSH
• Magnetic Resonance Imaging MeSH
• Brain Mapping * MeSH
• Brain physiology   MeSH
• Photic Stimulation methods   MeSH
• Facial Expression MeSH
• Visual Cortex * physiology   MeSH
• Check Tag
• Humans MeSH
• Male MeSH
• Female MeSH
• Publication type
• Journal Article MeSH

We aimed to describe facial directional asymmetry (DA) in individuals with different manifestations of laterality. Due to the overlap between brain and face development, a relationship between the manifestation of brain laterality and DA is hypothesised. These findings could clarify the relationship between the brain and facial phenotype and help to plan facial or oral motor rehabilitation. The DA of 163 healthy individuals was assessed by two complementary 3D methods: landmark and polygonal surface analysis using colour-coded maps. Handedness was assessed using the Edinburgh Handedness Inventory, while chewing side and eye preferences were self-reported. The results showed a similar DA pattern regardless of sex and laterality (the right-sided protrusion of the forehead, nose, lips, and chin) and a slightly curved C-shape of the midline in landmark analysis. A relationship between lateralized behaviours and DA was found only in males, in females the DA pattern was more homogenous. Right-handed individuals and right-side chewers showed a protrusion of the right hemiface. Males, left-handed and left-side chewers, manifested a protrusion of the left lateral hemiface. We suggest that these specific differences in males may be due to their typically higher level of brain asymmetry. No apparent relationship was found between eyedness and DA.

• MeSH
• Facial Asymmetry * physiopathology   MeSH
• Adult MeSH
• Functional Laterality * physiology   MeSH
• Middle Aged MeSH
• Humans MeSH
• Adolescent MeSH
• Young Adult MeSH
• Face physiology   MeSH
• Mastication * physiology   MeSH
• Check Tag
• Adult MeSH
• Middle Aged MeSH
• Humans MeSH
• Adolescent MeSH
• Young Adult MeSH
• Male MeSH
• Female MeSH
• Publication type
• Journal Article MeSH