OBJECTIVE To validate the Synkinesis Assessment Questionnaire (SAQ), a newly developed patient-graded instrument to evaluate facial synkinesis. STUDY DESIGN This was a prospective clinical questionnaire validation study. METHODS A total of 65 patients with facial nerve disorders were recruited from the Facial Nerve Center. In 28 patients (group I), the SAQ, a preliminary 10-item instrument,...

INTRODUCTION Synkinesis and facial asymmetry due to facial nerve palsy are distressing conditions that affect quality of life. Unfortunately, these sequelae of facial nerve palsy are unresolved. The aim of this study was to investigate the efficacy of a combination of biofeedback therapy and botulinum toxin A (BTX-A) injection for the management of synkinesis and asymmetry of facial muscles. ...

OBJECTIVES/HYPOTHESIS Facial synkinesis and hyperkinesis commonly impair the outcome of facial nerve palsy. Botulinum toxin type A has shown positive results in the treatment of these symptoms. Our experience is reported in this article. STUDY DESIGN Prospective study. METHODS Forty-one patients affected by facial synkinesis and hyperkinesis due to facial palsy were treated. The etiology of...

OBJECTIVES/HYPOTHESIS To define an objective, easy to perform, rapid method for the assessment of ocular synkinesis by employing both the Facial Assessment by Computer Evaluation software and a modification of the Glasgow Facial Palsy Scale. STUDY DESIGN Retrospective study. METHODS Fifty normal subjects and 50 patients with known ocular synkinesis were studied. Measurements of ocular synki...

Facial Synkinesis is a clinical condition that is the sequel to facial nerve paralysis which develops during nerve repair like axon myelination and regeneration. Involuntary muscle activity is accompanied by voluntary muscle activity and may involve facial and extra ocular muscles. This article describes an uncommon variation of facial Synkinesis that manifested clinically in weak voluntary che...

INTRODUCTION The important sequelae of facial nerve palsy are synkinesis, asymmetry, hypertension and contracture; all of which have psychosocial effects on patients. Synkinesis due to mal regeneration causes involuntary movements during a voluntary movement. Previous studies have advocated treatment using physiotherapy modalities alone or with exercise therapy, but no consensus exists on the o...

BACKGROUND Postparalysis facial synkinesis (PPFS) can occur after any cause of facial palsy. Current treatments are still inadequate. Surgical intervention, instead of Botox and rehabilitation only, for different degrees of PPFS was proposed. METHODS Seventy patients (43 females and 27 males) with PPFS were enrolled since 1986. They were divided into 4 patterns based on quality of smile and s...

The facial nerve is the most frequently damaged nerve in head and neck trauma. Patients undergoing facial nerve reconstruction often complain about disturbing abnormal synkinetic movements of the facial muscles (mass movements, synkinesis) which are thought to result from misguided collateral branching of regenerating motor axons and reinnervation of inappropriate muscles. Here, we examined whe...

OBJECTIVES/HYPOTHESIS When the recurrent laryngeal nerve (RLN) is injured, functional recovery may be limited by the number of axons that regrow across the site of injury, and by the proportions of these axons that reinnervate the antagonistic muscle (synkinesis). This process was investigated in a computer model of RLN recovery. STUDY DESIGN Computer simulation. METHODS The developed compu...