• Annals of Clinical Neurophysiology
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• 제3권2호
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• pp.122-127
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• 2001

Background : Bell's palsy(BP) is defined as an idiopathic peripheral facial paralysis of sudden onset and account more than 50% of facial paralysis. It's etiology is unclear, but herpes simplex virus type-1(HSV-1) has been the most suspicious causative agent of BP that ever been studied. We evaluated the effect of add-on acyclovir in acute stage of BP. Methods : Subject consisted of 35 patients who developed acute idiopathic unilateral facial nerve palsy(16 men and 19 women with age 9-78 years old). The treatments were started within 10 days after onset of BP. Facial nerve function was assessed by the House-Brackman facial nerve grading scale and facial nerve conduction study including blink reflex. Follow-up evaluation were made 2 month after onset. Twenty of 35 patients were treated with combined therapy of acyclovir and prednisone. As a control group, 15 patients were treated with prednisone only. We compared the improvement of neurologic defects at recovery phase. Results : Compared with two groups, difference in grading scale at recovery phase is statistically significant(p<0.01). So, acyclovir-prednisone group showed a significant improvement in grading scale at recovery phase compared with prednisone group. Conclusion : We identified the benefits of add-on acyclovir in the acute stage of BP.

• 대한한방소아과학회지
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• 제37권1호
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• pp.58-72
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• 2023

Objectives The purpose of this study is to analyze the latest clinical trends in peripheral facial nerve palsy pediatric and adolescent patients who treated in Korean medicine hospital. Methods The study was conducted based on 185 cases of pediatric and adolescent patients with peripheral facial nerve paralysis who visited Korean medicine hospital from January 2017 to June 2022. Results The mean age of onset of facial nerve paralysis in children and adolescents was 11.7 years, and the incidence rate was higher in boys than in girls. The seasonal distribution was the most common in autumn, and 91.4% were diagnosed with Bell's palsy. The recurrence rate was 7.6%. The severity was evaluated on the House-Brackmann Grading System (HBGS) scale, and the most common was Grade III. It took an average of 6.5 days from the date of onset to visit the hospital, and 75.7% visited the hospital within a week from the date of onset. Hospitalized treatment was 69.2%. The higher the HBGS grade, the more hospitalized treatment was, and the total number of treatments and the duration of treatment tended to increase. The average treatment period from the first visit date was 119.6 days. 17.8% received only Korean medicine treatment, and 69.2% took Western medicine with herbal medicine. Conclusions In this study, there was a difference in the average treatment period from previous studies according to the study period setting. Long-term studies on the recovery rate and prognosis of pediatric facial paralysis are needed.

• Journal of Acupuncture Research
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• 제39권4호
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• pp.297-303
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• 2022

Background: This retrospective study aimed to determine whether there were correlations between the number and type of accompanying symptoms of peripheral facial nerve palsy, and surface electromyography (SEMG) and clinical assessment scales to help diagnosis. Methods: There were 30, cases of peripheral facial nerve palsy at Visit 1 to the Korean Medicine Hospital, Dong-eui University, 22 cases at Visit 2 and 10 cases at Visit 3. The study period was from July 19, 2021 to November 31, 2021. Symptoms were evaluated three times (with two-week intervals which began 7 days from onset) using SEMG, clinical assessment scales and accompanying symptoms. In this study, the House-Brackmann grading system (HBGS), and the Yanagihara's unweighted grading system (Y-score) clinical assessment scales were used. The Pearson or Spearman correlation was used for statistical analysis. Results: On Visit 1, the number of accompanying symptoms of peripheral facial nerve palsy had no significant correlation with other measures. On Visits 1-3, the HBGS score had a significant negative correlation with the Y-score. On Visit 2, most of the mean values measured had significant correlations with each other although not between SEMG-Z and SEMG-O that Z means a zygomaticus muscle and O means a orbicularis oris muscle. On Visit 3, the number of accompanying symptoms significantly correlated with the clinical assessment scales. The HBGS score, Y-score, and SEMG measurements (except SEMG-Z) had significant correlations with each other. A significant positive correlation between SEMG-Z and SEMG-T was noted. Conclusion: We predict accompanying symptoms can be used to diagnose the peripheral facial nerve palsy including both clinical assessment scales and SEMG measurements at 2-5 weeks after onset.

• 대한한방내과학회지
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• 제38권5호
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• pp.769-777
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• 2017

Objective: Facial nerve palsy is caused by damage to the 7th cranial nerve. It is the main symptom of facial muscle paralysis on the affected side. Usually, recovery from this disease begins 2-3 weeks after onset and most patients recover in 4-8 weeks. If the patients cannot receive proper treatment, severe permanent impairments, both physical and mental, may remain, so this disease should be treated appropriately. In this study, a patient with facial nerve palsy was admitted to the Korean medicine hospital for treatment. We report on the patient's progress and the effects of treatment. Methods: We cured the patient with herbal medicines, acupuncture, herbal acupuncture therapy, and physical therapy. We used a numerical rating scale, the House Brackmann grading system, and a weighted regional grading system to assess symptom changes. Result: The patient with facial nerve palsy was hospitalized for 23 days and recovered from symptoms without significant problems on the face or in motor function.

• Journal of Acupuncture Research
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• 제24권4호
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• pp.209-223
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• 2007

Objectives : Facial Nerve Paralysis is one kind of common diseases and it can be treated by natural therapy and the efficiency of treatment is relatively high. In clinical trial, it is not difficult to find patients who were not completely recovered from Facial Nerve Paralysis, so the symptoms are fixed permanently. This leads many doctors and patients to have interests in the progress and prognosis of the disease, so this study was to analyze clinical prognosis factors and verify the effects of Electrodiagnostic Test. Methods : The 378 subjects were chosen from 987 patients who were suffering from Peripheral Facial Palsy, diagnosed with Bell's palsy and Ramsay Hunt Syndrome and had admission treatment. They got Oriental-Western Medicine Treatment within two weeks after outbreaks of the disease and treated at least over 3 weeks using Oriental-Western Medicine Treatment. Results : 1. There was a significant difference in the results of treatment according to gender, age, types of Facial Palsy, existence of Post Auricular Pain, existence of Labyrinth Symptom, HBGS, and existence of onsets of recovery as clinical prognosis factors of Peripheral Facial Palsy, However, a statistically significant difference was not shown in the results of treatment according to the position of Facial Palsy(left or right), existence of a relapse, and diabetes, hypertension. 2. As a result of overall treatment, 77.2% of patients were recovered almost entirely and 22.8% were not, and the quelae of incomplete recovery were Synkinesis, facial contracture, facial spasm, crocodile tears and scheroma in order of frequency. 3. The results of electrodiagnostic test represented useful correlation to predict the final effects of treatment. Conclusion : Based on the above results, the prognosis factors, the degree of recovery, and the sequelae of incomplete recovery were analysed and the effects of electrodiagnostic test was verified.

• Journal of Acupuncture Research
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• 제40권4호
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• pp.395-402
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• 2023

Bell's palsy is an acute facial paralysis caused by peripheral facial nerve dysfunction. The aim of this study is to assess the efficacy of Korean medicine in the treatment of three patients who were hospitalized and diagnosed with Bell's palsy within 2 weeks of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) infection. The patients were administered with Korean medicine treatments, steroids, and antiviral drugs. Moreover, the Korean medicine treatments include acupuncture, pharmacopuncture, moxibustion, physical therapy, and herbal medicine. Symptom improvement was evaluated daily using the Yanagihara facial nerve grading system, a facial function evaluation tool. Furthermore, it was suggested that the patients affected by Bell's palsy after COVID-19 infection may have a slower improvement in their treatment progress compared with those without COVID-19 infection in the acute stage.

• 대한한의학회지
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• 제28권1호통권69호
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• pp.126-136
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• 2007

Objectives : Bell's palsy in an acute peripheral facial nerve paralysis that usually affects only one side of the face. The seventh cranial nerve carries predominantly motor fibers, but also supplies some autonomic innervation, sensation to park of the ear, and taste to the anterior two thirds of the tongue. The aim of this study is to provide evidence of differences between facial skin temperature of the paralyzed side and normal side in Bell's palsy patients. Methods : the author studied 68 patients with Bell's palsy whose facial nerve function had been documented by the House-Brackmann grading system. We measured skin temperature of the forehead, zygoma, lower lip, temple and lower jaw area of the paralyzed side and those of the normal side. Results : there were significant facial skin temperature differences between the forehead area of paralyzed side and that of normal side of GrII(P<0.05) and III(P<0.05). The result also showed that the facial skin temperature difference according to the aflection period vanished when air temperature was calibrated (F=1.700, P=0.178). Conclusions : Thermography is a useful diagnostic tool in Bell's palsy if the air temperature is low enough to cool the facial skin temperature and the forehead area is evaluated as the sampling zone.

• 대한약침학회지
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• 제21권4호
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• pp.258-267
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• 2018

Objectives: The purpose of this study was to find out validity of Surface Electromyography(sEMG) compared with Nerve Conduction Study and clinical assessment scale as assessment factors for facial palsy. Methods: We investigated 50 cases of patients with peripheral facial palsy who had records of sEMG and NCS to check. Then we analyzed the correlation between sEMG and NCS that carried out around 1 week after onset. And we analyzed the correlation between sEMG and clinical assessment scales that were measured three times around 1 week, 3-4 weeks and 5-6 weeks after onset. Clinical assessment scales used in this study were House-brackmann grade, Yanagihara unweighted grading scale and Sunnybrook facial grading system. We used Pearson's correlation for statistical analysis. Results: sEMG and NCS, measured at similar times, were statistically correlated. Especially, the correlation with the forehead region was high. And sEMG and clinical assessment scale, measured at same time, were statistically correlated, especially after 5 weeks from onset. Conclusion: According to this study, sEMG is expected to be useful to assessment facial palsy.

• Medical Lasers
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• 제9권2호
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• pp.89-94
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• 2020

Photobiomodulation (PBM) therapy has been investigated to enhance and accelerate the recovery of injured peripheral nerves. Based on the wide range of benefits of PBM therapy and its clinical relevance, this study reviewed the efficacy of PBM in injured facial nerves. The search was performed in the PubMed database to find relevant articles published over the last 10 years. Four animal studies, two randomized controlled studies, one case series, and five case reports were reviewed. Despite the various parameters, functional analysis showed that PBM therapy using near-infrared irradiation has beneficial effects on the recovery of the acute phase of the damaged facial nerve, especially when related to faster functional improvement. There were no reported adverse effects of PBM therapy.

• Annals of Clinical Neurophysiology
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• 제23권2호
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• pp.121-125
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• 2021

Bell's palsy is an acute peripheral facial paralysis with no detectable cause. Although the prognosis of Bell's palsy is generally good, some patients experience poor recoveries and there is no established treatment for those that do not recover even after receiving the conventional treatment. Here we present two cases of refractory Bell's palsy with facial nerve enhancement in magnetic resonance imaging who showed symptomatic improvement after the late administration of high-dose intravenous methylprednisolone.