title: Efficacy of carbamazepine combined with botulinum toxin a in the treatment of blepharospasm and hemifacial spasm.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To observe the efficacy of the combined treatment of carbamazepine and botulinum toxin A for blepharospasm and hemifacial spasm.
  
  
  METHODS
  Fifty-eight patients with either blepharospasm or hemifacial spasm were randomly divided into treatment and control groups. In the treatment group, 30 patients were administered with local intramuscular injections of botulinum toxin A and oral carbamazepine 100 mg/time, 3 times a day for 60 days. Twenty-eight subjects in the control group underwent local intramuscular injections of botulinum toxin A only.
  
  
  RESULTS
  After combined treatment, the complete remission rate was 90%, which was significantly higher than that of the of the control group (67.9%, P<0.05, X2=4.733). However, no statistical significance was noted regarding the duration of therapeutic effects between the treatment group (range 14~40 weeks; 19.2 weeks on average) and control group (range 12~36 weeks; 18 weeks on average).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The combined therapy of carbamazepine and topical injections of botulinum toxin A had increased efficacy in the treatment of blepharospasm or hemifacial spasm, but had no significant effect in terms of the duration of the therapeutic effect.
authors.affiliation: 1.Department of Opthalmology,the First Rongjun Hospital of Guangdong Province. Guangzhou 510260,China 2.Department of Opthalmology,the First Municipal People's Hospital of Guangzhou,Guangzhou 510180,China.
authors.forename: Xian Hua
authors.initials: XH
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Shao Chun
authors.initials: SC
authors.lastname: Lin
authors.forename: Yan Fei
authors.initials: YF
authors.lastname: Hu
authors.forename: Li Ya
authors.initials: LY
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.forename: Ju Bo
authors.initials: JB
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.forename: Yi Chun
authors.initials: YC
authors.lastname: Hong
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000927:Anticonvulsants / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D001764:Blepharospasm / Q000188:drug therapy*; D019274:Botulinum Toxins, Type A / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D002220:Carbamazepine / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D004334:Drug Administration Schedule; D004359:Drug Therapy, Combination; D005260:Female; D019569:Hemifacial Spasm / Q000188:drug therapy*; D006801:Humans; D007273:Injections, Intramuscular; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009465:Neuromuscular Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D012074:Remission Induction
chemical_list: D000927:Anticonvulsants; D009465:Neuromuscular Agents; D002220:Carbamazepine; D019274:Botulinum Toxins, Type A