2023 / Exploratory before-and-after fMRI
Can changing a frown change neural processing?
What does facial-feedback research actually measure?
Source access: publication abstract
The study#
- Design
- Exploratory before-and-after fMRI
- Population
- 10 female participants
- Follow-up / endpoint
- Before treatment and during active effect
- Source
- Scientific Reports, 2023 · PMID 36849797
What the authors found#
Brain activity during emotional-face viewing changed after glabellar onabotulinumtoxinA, including amygdala responses to happy and angry faces.[1]
Editorial interpretation
Why it is interesting#
A useful mechanistic observation about feedback between facial movement and emotional processing.
Interesting neuroscience, not evidence to promise improved mental health.
What it cannot tell us#
- Very small sample with no parallel placebo arm.
- Brain activation is a surrogate; this was not a depression treatment trial.
Selection for this library reflects educational interest. It is not a systematic search, formal certainty grade, or complete account of the literature.
Funding & commercial context#
An author has an Allergan / AbbVie affiliation. See the full publication for its funding and conflict-of-interest statements.
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Source & citation#
Stark et al. — facial feedback and amygdala activity ↗Checked 2026-09-06 · Scientific Reports, 2023 · PMID 36849797. Cite the original publication when discussing its results; this page is an interpretation.
Aesthetic Pass. Can changing a frown change neural processing? Product Atlas research interpretation 2026.09.06.1. https://aestheticpass.com/products/studies/botox-facial-feedback/