title: Value of blink reflex in assessing V and VII nerve function in patients with C. P. Angle tumours- a prospective study of 75 patients.
abstract: This propsective study analyses the role of blink reflex (BR) in 75 patients with Cerebellopontine Angle (CPA) tumours. The aim was to find out the subclinical involvement from the blink reflex findings. Fifth nerve was clinically involved in 82.7% patients while, BR was able to detect afferent abnormality only in 54% patients. The seventh nerve was clinically involved in 74.7% and blink reflex could detect the efferent abnormality is 72% patients. Thus, clinicoelectrophysiological correlation was 56.4% and 72% for V and VII nerve respectively. In the patients in whom there was no V or VII nerve involvement BR showed VII nerve involvement in 12% patients. The subclinical involvement of the V nerve and the brainstem were detected by BR in 4% patients each. In conclusion BR is good test for the assessment of VII nerve function as compared to V nerve function. BR could pick of subclinical involvement in 20% patients.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurosurgery, Neurosciences Centre, All India Institute of Meidcal Sciences, 110 029 New Delhi, India.
authors.forename: A K
authors.initials: AK
authors.lastname: Mahapatra
authors.forename: A K
authors.initials: AK
authors.lastname: Singh
keywords: C. P. angle tumour; blink reflex; correlation; detection of subclinical involvement