Improvement of patient-reported motor disabilities and psycho-social well-being in patients with chronic facial palsy by EMG biofeedback training

Introduction:

Patients with chronic facial palsy not only suffer from their facial movement disorder, but also from social and psychological impairments. In our Facial-Nerve-Center we offer a two-week-course of intense EMG and video biofeedback training for patients with a stable chronic facial palsy with motor deficits and synkinesis. The therapeutic objectives are improvement of facial symmetry and mobility and systematical relaxation.

Objective:

To quantify the therapeutic effect by patient-reported outcome measures (PROMs), assessed by the quality-of-life Short-Form 36 Item Questionnaire (SF-36), and the facial palsy specific instruments Facial Clinimetric Evaluation Scale (FaCE) and Facial Disability Index (FDI).

Methods:

All 121 patients treated between October 2012 to December 2016 were asked to fill out the questionnaires before (T1) and after training (T2). To compare T1 with T2 paired-samples t-tests were used and effect sizes (eta²) were calculated.

Results:

60 patients (77% female, mean age: 49) filled out the survey. The total FaCE score improved by 13% (p<.001, eta²=.202), and the subscale social function of FaCE by even 18% after training (p<.001, eta²=.202). Furthermore, medium effect sizes were found for the FDI total score and the subscale physical functions, the FaCE subscales facial movement score, facial comfort score, and oral function score, as well as for the score of mental well-being in the SF-36 (all: ps<.001, eta²>.070).

Conclusion:

Even though our short intense EMG and video biofeedback training primarily targets motor deficits, strong increases in psychosocial well-being are measured by different PROMs following the training.

Publication History

Publication Date:
18 April 2018 (online)