Individualized management of facial synkinesis based on facial function

Abstract

Objectives: The researchers analyzed facial patterns in subjects with facial synkinesis after facial paralysis and evaluated the involved muscles to aid in the development of effective treatments for facial synkinesis.

Methods: A total of 142 subjects were included in the study, the primary measure for synkinesis was determined by video analysis involving the strongest combination of two muscle groups that contributed to facial expression. The secondary measure of synkinesis was the analysis of its severity using the SB grading system, while observing the number of facial synkinetic movements.

Results: The most common type of facial synkinesis was oral-ocular synkinesis (n = 137). Other synkinesis such as ocular-oral, ocular-nasal, ocular-chin, ocular-stapedial, chin-ocular and chin-oral synkinesis continued to coexist together with oral-ocular synkinesis. The results of BTX-A treatment are assessed based on the number of facial synkinetic movements observed and the evaluation of initial facial function.

Conclusion: The effectiveness of botulinum toxin A (BTX-A) treatment should be considered on an individual basis, according to the initial state of facial function. A patient with mild facial synkinesis restricted to the oral-ocular area and with a high score on the Sunnybrook (SB) facial nerve grading system would be the best candidate for BTX-A treatment.

Keywords: Facial nerve; botulinum toxin A; facial paralysis; facial synkinesis.