Investigating neural plasticity and nuclear hyperexcitability in patients with oral-ocular facial synkinesis using 7 Tesla functional MRI

Recruiting

Conditions: Bell's Palsy
Facial paralysis
10034606

Registration Number: NL-OMON51921

Lead Sponsor: Medisch Universitair Ziekenhuis Maastricht

Brief Summary: Not available

Detailed Description: Not available

Recruitment & Eligibility

Status: Recruiting

Sex: Not specified

Target Recruitment: 36

Inclusion Criteria

(1) absence of facial nerve transposition; (2) participants must be 18 years of
age or older; (3) signed informed consent.

For patients who suffer from oral-ocular synkinesis, two extra criteria will be
maintained: patients must have severe facial synkinesis based on the Sunnybrook
facial grading system at the time the MRI scan is performed, and synkinesis
must occur only on one side of the face.

Exclusion Criteria

The following exclusion criteria will be maintained for both the patients with
facial synkinesis as the control participants: previous neurosurgery and
contraindications for MRI investigation, such as a pacemaker, implanted pumps
or stimulators, iron materials (e.g., piercings), facial tattoos and permanent
make up, or claustrophobia.

For control participants, one extra criteria will be maintained: the
participant must have no forms of facial paralysis prior to the MRI examination
and at the time of the MRI procedure.

Study & Design

Study Type: Observational non invasive

Study Design: Not specified

Primary Outcome Measures

Name	Time	Method
<p>The main study parameter is the hemodynamic response after stimulation of<br /><br>specific parts of the face. Within the areas of interest (primary motor cortex,<br /><br>the ventral lateral premotor cortex, the supplementary motor cortex, the<br /><br>primary somatosensory cortex (S1), the secondary somatosensory cortex (S2), the<br /><br>facial nucleus (pons), and the trigeminal nucleus (pons)), the temporo-spatial<br /><br>brain activity patterns after the different motor and sensory tasks are<br /><br>assessed, and the representation of the face is mapped on the cortexes of<br /><br>interest.</p><br>

Secondary Outcome Measures