Body Language Analysis №4701: Vladimir Putin has a Cranial Nerve VII Palsy on his right side - Nonverbal and Emotional Intelligence

In the midst of Yevgeny Prigozhin’s recent 24-hour-ish mutiny, Vladimir Putin gave a five and half minute address. During this speech, Putin displayed multiple examples of Anxiety, Self-Righteousness, Contempt, Disgust, and Anger.

All of these same emotions were displayed again today in a follow-up address to Russia (and the rest of the World).

However, a careful observer may have also seen Putin’s has a new and unacknowledged health problem. The Russian President has a Peripheral Cranial Nerve VII Palsy (aka the Facial Nerve) on his right.

While this Facial Nerve palsy is not severe (but mild-to-moderate), it’s definitely present.

 

Note the persistent incomplete closure of his right upper eyelids during blinking.

Also, the diminished forehead and eyebrow movement on Putin’s right (this finding is mild/mild-to-moderate and persistent).

In addition, Vladimir Putin’s right Nasolabial fold is significantly flattened.

There is, however, perhaps only a trace amount of drooping of the ipsilateral mouth corner. This lesser finding is sometimes seen in mild Cranial Nerve VII palsies.

More significant drooping of the corner of the mouth would be expected in essentially all moderate-to-severe Cranial Nerve VII palsies.

SUMMARY: Vladimir Putin has a mild-to-moderate Cranial Nerve VII Palsy on his right. It appears to be new. This may be isolated and idiopathic (i.e., Bell’s Palsy — always a diagnosis of exclusion) — or it may be secondary to another, underlying, more serious etiology.

Why isn’t Body Language taught much more widely in the medical field? If you’re a physician, nurse, therapist, counselor, etc., contact me at Jack@BodyLanguageSuccess.com to learn this crucial skill. Group, individual, in-person, and online instruction are available.

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This post and others accompanying it, serve as a reference source for the art and science of Body Language/Nonverbal Communication. The views and opinions expressed on this website are those of the author. In an effort to be both practical and academic, many examples from/of varied cultures, politicians, professional athletes, legal cases, public figures, etc., are cited in order to teach and illustrate both the interpretation of others’ body language as well as the projection of one’s own nonverbal skills in many different contexts.

Nonverbal Communication Analysis # 2414: Sen. John McCain after his Trip to Syria - Body Language of Regret and Contempt

Senator John McCain (R-AZ) just returned from a trip to Syria. It is well known that Sen. McCain has long believed the United States should supply weapons to the Syrian Rebels (those forces opposed to Bashar al Assad). When Anderson Cooper asks him about his feelings after direct experience while in Syria, Sen. McCain displays some telling facial expressions.

What makes his particular facial nonverbals more difficult to dissect is the fact that Sen. McCain has residual facial nerve (Cranial Nerve VII) palsy (when no causes are found after a complete medical evaluation, this is referred to as Bell's Palsy). This leaves his left forehead, eyebrow, cheek and mouth corner mildly hypo-reactive and "droopy" - thus making his expressions more complex than most to accurately assess.

At 0:06, the left corner of John McCain's mouth pulls primarily laterally (note dynamic dimple adjacent to left mouth) - signaling the emotion of regret. 

There are other nonverbal manifestations of regret - Do you know these?

At 0:07, we can see significantly greater upward vectoring and tightening of McCain's Cheek and the left portion of his "mustache area" - consistent with a greater contempt emotional component.

The Senator has slight nose asymmetry leaving his baseline configuration of a left nostril (nostril dilation aka nasal flaring) larger than his right - implying contempt

Bilateral closing of the eyelids in this context is contempt amplifier.

In summary Senator McCain feels two emotions here - first regret followed rapidly by contempt.  What other nonverbal signals do you see in this video?

See also:

Nonverbal Communication Analysis # 2320:  Estonian Skier Andrus Veerpalu  Denies Performance Enhancing Drugs -  What his Body Language Tells Us

Nonverbal Communication Analysis # 1517:  Signals of Acquiescence and Regret  Rick Santorum Drops Out

Nonverbal Communication Analysis # 2408:  Sen. Kelly Ayotte's Anxiety & Regret via  Senators Graham & McCain - Republican Body Language in Response to  President Obama's National Defense University Speech

Nonverbal Communication Analysis # 2323:  Jodi Arias Murder Trial  The Body Language of Unilateral Regret vs. Contempt

Nonverbal Communication Analysis # 2228:  Jay Carney's Body Language -  Contempt disguised as a Sniff ....  for Republicans' Solutions to the Fiscal Cliff

Nonverbal Communication Analysis # 2350:  Contempt - both dramatic and subtle -  Backpedaling and Body Language

Negotiation Nonverbal Communication Secret # 1267:  John McCain, Sarah Palin and Bell's Palsy

Nonverbal Communication Analysis # 2312: Bruce Willis' Body Language - Contempt vs. Suppressed Smile vs. Pseudo Smile vs. Sincere Smile

Nonverbal Communication Analysis # 2384:  Bashar al-Assad on 1 May 2013 - Demure, Beta and Nervous - Body Language Lessons on how NOT to appear Confident

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Negotiation Nonverbal Communication Secret # 1267: John McCain, Sarah Palin and Bell's Palsy

 

In this intriguing short video, CNN's Anderson Cooper asks Senator John McCain (R-AZ) about his former running mate, Sarah Palin - and her recent comments on participating in any possible open nomination process at the Republican convention this summer. At first glance, Senator McCain seems to display nonverbal signals of incredulity/doubt/disbelief - as his right eyebrow and forehead elevate repeatedly while his left side doesn't react much. 

Looking more carefully however, we can see where most of the entire left side of the former Presidential candidate's face is mildly (and in some places moderately - such as his forehead) consistently less reactive. Indeed, Mr. McCain's smile is even slightly asymmetric (when he smiles with his right side, the left corner of his mouth droops slightly). These are common manifestations of a peripheral cranial nerve VII palsy (the "Facial Nerve"). When all other possible causes of such palsies are excluded (thus referred to as a "diagnosis of exclusion") - this finding is commonly referred to as "Bell's Palsy". Other video of Senator McCain seems to validate a facial nerve palsy.

Although there are other nonverbal signals displayed by John McCain in this video, the valuable lesson here is - if one doesn't look at the whole face (and body), or bases the body language analysis on too small of a temporal "sample size", an erroneous conclusion often will be made.

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