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Botox Injections in Non-Cranial Nerve VII Innervated Muscles for Facial Synkinesis

NCT07295288 · Status: NOT_YET_RECRUITING · Phase: PHASE4 · Type: INTERVENTIONAL · Enrollment: 50

Last updated 2026-04-15

No results posted yet for this study

Summary

Facial synkinesis is a condition that occurs following facial nerve (CN7) injury, typically secondary to Bell's palsy, trauma, surgery (e.g., acoustic neuroma resection), or malignancy. Synkinesis is due to aberrant regeneration of the facial nerve, where axons regrow improperly and result in misdirected innervation of facial muscles. This results in involuntary, uncoordinated muscle movements, where activation of one muscle group triggers unintended contractions in others. Standard treatment of facial synkinesis involves botulinum toxin (BT) injections into muscles controlled by CN7 to reduce these unwanted movements. However, patients often anecdotally report that adding BT injections into non-CN7 innervated muscle groups, such as the masseter and temporalis muscles, improve their synkinesis symptoms. This study therefore aims to assess whether adding BT injections to non-CN7 innervated muscle groups, specifically the masseter and temporalis muscle, can improve treatment outcomes for people with facial synkinesis. This study will use a crossover design, where each participant will serve as their own control to compare treatment effects. In the first treatment arm, patients will receive only their standard BT injections into muscle groups controlled by CN7 - no other muscles will be treated. In the second treatment arm, will receive the same standard BT injections in CN7 muscles, plus additional injections into masseter and temporalis muscles. Patients will be randomized to a specific treatment arm at their first visit. At their second visit, they will be randomized to the other treatment arm, in standard crossover study design. Pre- and post-treatment surveys will be collected to assess the benefit of adding non-CN7 muscle groups.

Conditions

  • Synkinesis

Interventions

DRUG

Botulinum Toxin Type A Injection [Botox]

Patients will receive standard of care synkinesis treatment. Depending on the treatment arm, they will receive additional botox injections to temporalis and masseter muscle groups which will only be injected on the ipsilateral side to the facial nerve injury. Decision to include the temporalis and/or masseter muscles will be based on each patients response to screening questions regarding jaw pain/tightness or headaches.

Sponsors & Collaborators

  • Vanderbilt University Medical Center

    lead OTHER

Principal Investigators

  • Priyesh Patel, MD · VUMC

Study Design

Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Purpose
TREATMENT
Masking
NONE
Model
CROSSOVER

Eligibility

Min Age
18 Years
Sex
ALL
Healthy Volunteers
Yes

Timeline & Regulatory

Start
2026-07-01
Primary Completion
2027-06-30
Completion
2027-06-30

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Read the full study record

This page highlights key information. For complete eligibility criteria, study locations, investigator contacts, and the full protocol, visit the original record on ClinicalTrials.gov.

View NCT07295288 on ClinicalTrials.gov