Dr. Burke performs a neurological examination on his patient Ishmael. At one point he asks Ishmael to smile, but Ishmael produces only a crooked smirk. At the end of the examination, Ishmael tells Dr. Burke a humorous story, at which point Ishmael smiles ear-to-ear. Dr. Burke suspects that Ishmael suffered damage to his ____.

Question

Dr. Burke performs a neurological examination on his patient Ishmael. At one point he asks Ishmael to smile, but Ishmael produces only a crooked smirk. At the end of the examination, Ishmael tells Dr. Burke a humorous story, at which point Ishmael smiles ear-to-ear. Dr. Burke suspects that Ishmael suffered damage to his ____. ​

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The motor cortex is involved in voluntary facial movements. Damage here can affect voluntary smiling, while spontaneous emotional expressions like smiling at a joke may remain intact.

Dr Burke Performs a Neurological Examination on His Patient Ishmael