Facial Expression Deep Learning Algorithms in the Detection of Neurological Disorders: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis Publisher Pubmed



Yoonesi S¹ ; Abedi Azar R² ; Arab Bafrani M³ ; Yaghmayee S⁴ ; Shahavand H⁵ ; Mirmazloumi M⁶ ; Moazeni Limoudehi N⁷ ; Rahmani M⁸ ; Hasany S⁹ ; Idjadi FZ¹⁰ ; Aalipour MA¹¹ ; Gharedaghi H¹² ; Salehi S¹³ ; Asadi Anar M¹⁴ Show All Authors Show Affiliations
Source: BioMedical Engineering Online Published:2025

Abstract

Background: Neurological disorders, ranging from common conditions like Alzheimer’s disease that is a progressive neurodegenerative disorder and remains the most common cause of dementia worldwide to rare disorders such as Angelman syndrome, impose a significant global health burden. Altered facial expressions are a common symptom across these disorders, potentially serving as a diagnostic indicator. Deep learning algorithms, especially convolutional neural networks (CNNs), have shown promise in detecting these facial expression changes, aiding in diagnosing and monitoring neurological conditions. Objectives: This systematic review and meta-analysis aimed to evaluate the performance of deep learning algorithms in detecting facial expression changes for diagnosing neurological disorders. Methods: Following PRISMA2020 guidelines, we systematically searched PubMed, Scopus, and Web of Science for studies published up to August 2024. Data from 28 studies were extracted, and the quality was assessed using the JBI checklist. A meta-analysis was performed to calculate pooled accuracy estimates. Subgroup analyses were conducted based on neurological disorders, and heterogeneity was evaluated using the I2 statistic. Results: The meta-analysis included 24 studies from 2019 to 2024, with neurological conditions such as dementia, Bell’s palsy, ALS, and Parkinson’s disease assessed. The overall pooled accuracy was 89.25% (95% CI 88.75–89.73%). High accuracy was found for dementia (99%) and Bell’s palsy (93.7%), while conditions such as ALS and stroke had lower accuracy (73.2%). Conclusions: Deep learning models, particularly CNNs, show strong potential in detecting facial expression changes for neurological disorders. However, further work is needed to standardize data sets and improve model robustness for motor-related conditions. © The Author(s) 2025.