HOME HELP FEEDBACK SUBSCRIPTIONS ARCHIVE SEARCH TABLE OF CONTENTS		QUICK SEARCH:   [advanced] Author: Keyword(s): Year:  Vol:  Page:

This Article Full Text (PDF) Correspondence: Submit a response Alert me when this article is cited Alert me when Correspondence are posted Alert me if a correction is posted Services Email this article to a friend Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in PubMed Alert me to new issues of the journal Download to citation manager Citing Articles Citing Articles via HighWire Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by KIMURA, J. Articles by OKAWARA, S.-H. Search for Related Content PubMed PubMed Citation Articles by KIMURA, J. Articles by OKAWARA, S.-H.

Electrophysiologic analysis of aberrant regeneration after facial nerve paralysis

Department of Neurology and the Neurosensory Center and the Division of Neurosurgery, Department of Surgery, College of Medicine, University of Iowa, Iowa City.

The blink reflex, ordinarily elicited only in the orbicularis oculi and not in other facial muscles, can be used to detect synkinetic movements objectively. In 26 of 29 patients tested at least 4 months after facial nerve degeneration, an aberrant blink reflex was recorded in the orbicularis oris on the affected side. Of the remaining three, one had injury to only a peripheral branch of the facial nerve and experienced a return of function with no evidence of synkinesis; in the other two, the affected side of the face was totally paralyzed in the absence of facial nerve regeneration. Synkinetic movements ultimately will occur in nearly all cases following facial nerve degeneration provided that the facial nerve regenerates from a proximal site.

The Neurosensory Center is supported by NINCDS Program Project grant No. NS-03354. This investigation was supported in part by a grant from the National Multiple Sclerosis Society.

Presented in part at the twenty-seventh annual meeting of the American Academy of Neurology, Bal Harbour, Florida, May 1975.

Received for publication February 3, 1975.

Dr. Kimura's address is Department of Neurology, University Hospitals, Iowa City, IA 52242.

This article has been cited by other articles:

				F. VanderWerf, D. Reits, A. E. Smit, and M. Metselaar Blink Recovery in Patients with Bell's Palsy: A Neurophysiological and Behavioral Longitudinal Study Invest. Ophthalmol. Vis. Sci., January 1, 2007; 48(1): 203 - 213. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				O. Guntinas-Lichius, K. Wewetzer, T. L. Tomov, N. Azzolin, S. Kazemi, M. Streppel, W. F. Neiss, and D. N. Angelov Transplantation of Olfactory Mucosa Minimizes Axonal Branching and Promotes the Recovery of Vibrissae Motor Performance after Facial Nerve Repair in Rats J. Neurosci., August 15, 2002; 22(16): 7121 - 7131. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				D. I. Rubin, J. Y. Matsumoto, G. A. Suarez, and R. G. Auger Facial trigeminal synkinesis associated with a trigeminal schwannoma Neurology, August 1, 1999; 53(3): 635 - 635. [Abstract] [Full Text]

				T. Brushart and M. Mesulam Alteration in connections between muscle and anterior horn motoneurons after peripheral nerve repair Science, May 9, 1980; 208(4444): 603 - 605. [Abstract] [PDF]