Visual Face Perception of Adults with Unilateral Cleft Lip and Palate in Comparison to Controls—An Eye-Tracking Study

Abstract

Objective To assess how faces with a cleft lip and palate are perceived and to study how faces with and without a unilateral cleft lip and palate are viewed by individuals with a unilateral cleft lip and/or palate in comparison to nonaffected controls. Design Prospective clinical study. Setting Department of Orthodontics and Department of Psychology, University of Wuerzburg. Participants Thirty-three participants (20 men and 13 women; mean age, 25.4 ± 6.6 years) with a unilateral cleft lip and/or palate and a control group of 30 participants (15 men and 15 women; mean age, 26.8 ± 3.4 years) were enrolled in this study. Main Outcome Measures Eye movements were analyzed via an eye-tracking camera while all participants looked at pictures of faces with and without a unilateral cleft lip and palate. Results The nose and the mouth area of pictures of faces with a unilateral cleft lip and palate were looked at significantly longer by both groups. Additionally, the participants with a unilateral cleft lip and/or palate looked at faces with and without a unilateral cleft lip and palate differently, taking more time to view the nose and less time to view the eyes compared with the participants without a cleft lip and palate. Conclusion When perceiving a face with a unilateral cleft lip and palate, the observer's gaze is distracted to the nose and mouth area. Moreover, participants with a unilateral cleft lip and/or palate themselves focused greater attention on those features that are anomalous on their own faces in comparison to participants without a cleft lip and palate. Specifically, this different scanpath is reflected in the cumulative duration of the eye movements as well as in the initial facial scan pattern.