Researchers find the empathy region of the brain

Columbus, Ohio – The area of the brain responsible for recognizing facial expressions appears to be on the right side, just behind the ear. A study published Tuesday in the Journal of Neuroscience found that nerve patterns within this area, which is known as the posterior superior temporal sulcus (pSTS), seem to be programmed to identify movement in certain areas of the face. While one neural pattern detects a furrowed brow, another recognizes the upturned lips of a smile, according to the paper. "That suggests that our brains decode facial expressions by adding up sets of key muscle movements in the face of the person we are looking at," study author Aleix Martinez said in a university press release, as reported by CBS News. Martinez, a cognitive scientist who teaches electrical and computer engineering at Ohio State, added that humans use a significant number of facial movements to express emotion, as well as other non-verbal communications signals and language.