BACKGROUND: Several techniques are available for the assessment of facial movement and activity, and facial disability can be evaluated through self-administered questionnaires. However, the relationship between these objective and subjective measurements has not been examined to date. The present study examined the relationship between electromyographic data of the levator anguli oris muscle with the facial disability index in patients with long-term facial paralysis. We hypothesized that individuals with greater facial asymmetry have lower facial disability index scores. METHODS: Patients were assessed using a clinical scale for the evaluation of facial expression, 2 facial disability index subscales, and the results of surface electromyography (sEMG). Seventeen long-term facial paralysis patients were analyzed and compared to 17 age- and gender-matched healthy controls. RESULTS: Significant differences between right and left hemifaces during smiling and at rest were detected in the experimental group, but not in the controls. Statistical analyses also indicated a weak correlation between sEMG (facial asymmetry) and facial disability index. CONCLUSIONS: The use of modern data analysis techniques such as sEMG in combination with self-reported data is of great benefit to clinicians and their patients. The identification of a combination of measurements from randomized trials that can best determine the most effective treatment for patients with facial paralysis should be the objective of future studies.
Facial paralysis; Facial asymmetry; Quality of life; Electromyography
