title: [Blink restoration by the functional electrical stimulation in unilateral facial nerve palsy rabbits].
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Tocompare the effects of different waveforms and parameters of electrical stimulation to elicit a blink, and construct a functional electrical stimulation (FES) system to restore synchronous blink in unilateral facial nerve palsy (FNP).
  
  
  METHODS
  Firstly, twenty-four rabbits were surgically induced unilateral FNP and were divided into three groups, who received square, sine and triangle pulse wareforms, respectirely. Both the healthy and the paralysis eyelids of the rabbits received pulse train stimulation to produce a blink in both eyes. For each rabbit, twenty-seven combinations of frequencies (25 Hz, 50 Hz and 100 Hz) and nine pulse widths (1-9 ms) were stimulated. The threshold amplitude and electric charge to elicit a blink was compared between different waveforms and different parameters. Secondly, a FES system was constructed to treat six surgically induced unilateral FNP rabbit chosen in the twenty-four rabbits, it consisted by an electromyogram (EMG) amplifier module which record the EMG of the healthy muscle, and a stimulator which received the EMG input and output a pulse train stimulation when triggered by the EMG.
  
  
  RESULTS
  When the carrier frequency of the pulse train was 25 Hz, it was not able to induce a smooth blink. However, when the carrier frequencies were 50 Hz and 100 Hz, a smooth blink could be induced. The voltage required by 100 Hz was lower than 50 Hz, but it cost more electric charge. The amplitude that square waveforms required was far lower than sine and triangle, but the electric charge between the three waveforms was similar. Synchronous blink could be restored in the six unilateral FNP rabbits with the FES system.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  To elicit a blink, square pulse train delivered in 50 Hz is a preferable option. The motion of the healthy eyelids as a source of information for stimulation of the paralyzed sides can restore the synchronous blink in unilateral FNP rabbits.
authors.affiliation: Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Peking Union Medical College Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing 100730, China.
authors.forename: Yubin
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Xue
authors.forename: Guodong
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Feng
authors.forename: Xiuyong
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Ding
authors.forename: Yang
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Zhao
authors.forename: Tingting
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Cui
authors.affiliation: Email: talllee@sina.com.
authors.forename: Zhiqiang
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Gao
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001767:Blinking; D004558:Electric Stimulation; D004599:Electric Stimulation Therapy / Q000379:methods*; D004576:Electromyography; D005143:Eyelids; D005154:Facial Nerve; D005158:Facial Paralysis / Q000628:therapy*; D011817:Rabbits