It’s my understand that various kinds of facial expressions are “learned” by people with Parkinson’s in an attempt to hide their disease...specifically to hide certain facial “ticks” that are sometimes seen in those with the disease.I’m not 100% sure of my memory here (maybe *I* have Parkinson’s) but if I’m wrong I hope some Freeper with medical training will set me straight.
Lack of facial expression
Loss of dopamine can affect the facial muscles, making them stiff and slow and resulting in a characteristic lack of expression. “Some people refer to it as ‘stone face’ or ‘poker face,’” says neurologist Pam Santamaria, a Parkinson’s expert at the Nebraska Medical Center in Omaha. “But it’s really more like a flattening — the face isn’t expressing the emotions the person’s feeling.”
The term “Parkinson’s mask” is used to describe the extreme form of this condition, but that doesn’t come until later. As an early symptom, the changes are subtle: It’s easiest to recognize by a slowness to smile or frown, or staring off into the distance, Santamaria says. Another sign is less frequent blinking.