Well I use c4d. In C4d I would script all the facial expressions Smiling etc head movements up down left to right etc.
All controlled by sliders or the Mograph functions.
If you want to animate a a wrinkle moving I would prob move points and put a slider on the movement in posermixer and code a slider percentage to control animation.
Or I would use a Range Mapper based on time and have the wrinkle move on its own through an animation.
I hope tha thelps I imagine maya is similar but i dont know there animation script language.
But thats what I would do pretty basic stuff.
I do use maya a little but I tend to stay in c4d.
I cant animate code in it yet i can in c4d better workflow.