title: Contralateral reinnervation of midline muscles in nonidiopathic facial palsy.
abstract: The purpose of this study was to analyze contralateral reinnervation of the facial nerve in eight patients with complete facial palsy after surgery or trauma and seven healthy volunteers. All patients had contralateral reinnervation of facial muscles as demonstrated by electrical nerve stimulation versus none of the control subjects. Four patients had facial muscle movements at the site of the damaged nerve. In one patient this was entirely the result of contralateral reinnervation, whereas the other three patients had innervation both ipsilaterally and contralaterally. This implies that renewed facial muscle activity should be examined considering the origin of the reinnervation, either contralateral or ipsilateral. Contralateral reinnervation is a common phenomenon after total facial palsy and can occur alongside ipsilateral reinnervation. It can be mistaken for adequate reinnervation of the damaged nerve, causing postponement of dynamic reconstruction therapy.
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical Neurophysiology, Institute of Neurology, University Medical Centre Nijmegen, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: H Jacobus
authors.initials: HJ
authors.lastname: Gilhuis
authors.forename: Carien H G
authors.initials: CH
authors.lastname: Beurskens
authors.forename: Joost
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: de Vries
authors.forename: Henri A M
authors.initials: HA
authors.lastname: Marres
authors.forename: Ed H M
authors.initials: EH
authors.lastname: Hartman
authors.forename: Machiel J
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Zwarts
mesh_terms: D000200:Action Potentials; D000328:Adult; D001932:Brain Neoplasms / Q000150:complications / Q000601:surgery; D004558:Electric Stimulation; D004576:Electromyography; D005152:Facial Muscles / Q000294:innervation* / Q000503:physiopathology*; D020220:Facial Nerve Injuries / Q000209:etiology / Q000503:physiopathology*; D005158:Facial Paralysis / Q000209:etiology / Q000503:physiopathology*; D005260:Female; D007839:Functional Laterality; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009416:Nerve Regeneration / Q000502:physiology*; D011182:Postoperative Care; D011183:Postoperative Complications; D012887:Skull Fractures / Q000150:complications; D013701:Temporal Bone / Q000293:injuries