Functional Recovery From Facial Paralysis

Summary

This is a controlled, single-blind (hybrid) clinical investigation that aims to analyze the process of recovery of muscle function in people with peripheral facial paralysis who receive kinesthetic treatment with electrostimulation compared to those who receive treatment without electrostimulation, in the UNNE University Kinesiology Service, during the period 2023-2025, to promote early reintegration into their social activities of daily life.

An initial evaluation will be carried out, the movements that cause the requested gestures will be observed and recorded and recorded on a monitoring sheet and on video. The House Brackman and Sunnybrook scale will be used to measure functional outcomes. The initial and final evaluations will be external and blind. Patients will sign informed consent approved by Resolution No 04/23 of the Health Sciences Research Bioethics Committee.

The following inclusion criteria will be taken into account: patients with a medical referral that indicates a diagnosis of peripheral facial paralysis, Bell's palsy, frigori facial paralysis, idiopathic facial paralysis, who have not received previous kinesic treatment. Patients with central facial paralysis (associated with stroke), with peripheral facial paralysis of more than 6 months of evolution, who present dermal lesions that interfere with the application of electrical currents (open wounds, lacerations or burns) will be excluded from the study. ) In addition, those patients who attend with a medical prescription that advises in writing against the use of electrostimulation will be excluded.

Conditions

• Peripheral Facial Paralysis
• Facial Palsy
• Synkineses

Interventions

OTHER

Selective muscle electrostimulation with exponential current

An electroevaluation will be performed, with an exponential current generator equipment, using Meditea® brand Neuromatic 700 equipment, which consists of a first application of the current, the pulse width (in milliseconds) in which a contraction is achieved will be sought. frank, visible and selective of the facial muscle that is being stimulated. The purpose is to identify the pulse width and the lowest intensity to obtain a frank, visible and selective contraction, understood as the best quality.

OTHER

Facial muscle reeducation in front of the mirror

Muscle re-education: Symmetrical facial movements will be requested, activating the muscles of the affected side, avoiding the participation of the unaffected side. We will work with the patient sitting in front of a mirror, asking him to perform the following actions or gestures: raise his eyebrows, frown, close his eyes (tightly and blink), smell an unpleasant odor, show his fangs, blow a kiss, blow , fake smile (lip corner pulled back horizontally), frank smile (lip corner pulled back and up, showing teeth), kiss and "pout". The functional capacity of the mouth will be trained, inflating the cheekbones and moving the air from one side to the other, avoiding compensations. Depending on the degree of facial dysfunction and its condition, the kinesiologist will perform a stretch reflex, facilitation of movement and/or inhibition of it. Three series of five repetitions of each gesture described will be done.

Sponsors & Collaborators

• National Council of Scientific and Technical Research, Argentina

  collaborator OTHER_GOV

• Universidad Nacional del Nordeste, Argentina

  lead OTHER

Principal Investigators

• JESSICA A ZALAZAR, INVESTIGADOR · Universidad Nacional del Nordeste, Argentina

Study Design

Allocation

RANDOMIZED

Purpose

TREATMENT

Masking

NONE

Model

PARALLEL

Eligibility

Sex

ALL

Healthy Volunteers

No

Timeline & Regulatory

Start

2023-06-01

Primary Completion

2024-12-31

Completion

2025-12-31

Countries

• Argentina

Study Locations