Medknow Publications on behalf of the Neurological Society of India
Abstract
Background: Neuronal plasticity is expected to be different at
different ages and adaptive changes developing after peripheral facial
palsy (PFP) may provide a clue in this respect. Aims: To investigate
the difference in the reorganization developing after facial nerve
damage between patients who developed PFP at childhood-youth and
middle-old age. Patients and methods: Twenty-two patients were divided
into two groups according to the age-at-onset of PFP; young (PFP 1),
and elderly (PFP 2). Two age-matched control groups (C 1 and C 2)
comprised of 32 healthy subjects were included in the study. The
latency, R2 area, and recovery of the R2 area of the blink reflex were
investigated. Statistical analysis : anova and Bonferroni tests were
used. Results: The R2 areas were significantly greater on the intact
side of the PFP 1 group as compared to that in the control group ( P
=0.012). The recovery of R2 component was significantly enhanced on the
symptomatic ( P =0.027), and intact ( P =0.041) sides in PFP 1 as
compared to that in the C 2 group at the stimulus interval of 600 ms.
Significant enhanced recovery was noted at 200 ms stimulus interval on
the symptomatic side of the two PFP groups (PFP 1, P =0.05 and PFP 2,
P =0.025) and on the intact side of the PFP 1 group ( P =0.035) as
compared to that in the control groups. Conclusion : Young
age-at-onset of PFP is associated with more prominent excitability
changes developing at the neuronal and interneuronal level