title: Prognostic factors for recovery in Portuguese patients with Bell's palsy.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The main aim of this study was to identify the prognostic factors that contribute to complete recovery at 6 weeks and 6 months in patients with Bell's palsy.
  
  
  METHODS
  This is a prospective, longitudinal, and descriptive study that included 123 patients diagnosed with facial nerve palsy (FNP) at a hospital in Guimarães, Portugal. However, only 73 patients with Bell's palsy (BP) were included in the assessment of recovery at 6 weeks and 6 months. We analyzed the demographic and clinical characteristics of the patients, including sex, age, paralyzed side, occupation, previous and associated symptoms, seasonal occurrence, familial facial palsy, patient perception, intervention options, and baseline grade according to the House-Brackmann facial grading system (HB-FGS).
  
  
  RESULTS
  Of the 123 cases with FNP, 79 (64.2%) patients had BP. Age, sex, and baseline HB-FGS grades were significant predictors of complete recovery at 6 weeks. Patients with HB-FGS grade III or lower (6 weeks baseline) had significant recovery of function at 6 months.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Baseline severity of BP, elderly patients, and male sex were early predictors of poor prognosis. Patients with mild and moderate dysfunction according to the HB-FGS achieved significant normal facial function at 6 months. Further prospective studies with longer observation periods and larger samples are needed to verify the results.
authors.affiliation: a Faculty of Sport, Research Centre in Physical Activity, Health and Leisure , University of Porto , Porto , Portugal.|b Department of Physiotherapy , CESPU, North Polytechnic Institute of Health , Gandra and Vila Nova de Famalicão , Portugal.
authors.forename: Margarida
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Ferreira
authors.affiliation: c Department of Public Health - Occidental Oporto , Porto , Portugal.
authors.forename: João
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Firmino-Machado
authors.affiliation: d Research Center in Sports Sciences, Health and Human Development (CIDESD) , University Institute of Maia (ISMAI) , Maia , Portugal.|e National Institute on Aging, National Institutes of Health , Bethesda , MD , USA.
authors.forename: Elisa A
authors.initials: EA
authors.lastname: Marques
authors.affiliation: a Faculty of Sport, Research Centre in Physical Activity, Health and Leisure , University of Porto , Porto , Portugal.|f Department of Physical Therapy, School of Health Technology of Porto , Polytechnic Institute of Porto , Vila Nova de Gaia , Portugal.
authors.forename: Paula C
authors.initials: PC
authors.lastname: Santos
authors.affiliation: b Department of Physiotherapy , CESPU, North Polytechnic Institute of Health , Gandra and Vila Nova de Famalicão , Portugal.
authors.forename: Ana Daniela
authors.initials: AD
authors.lastname: Simões
authors.affiliation: a Faculty of Sport, Research Centre in Physical Activity, Health and Leisure , University of Porto , Porto , Portugal.
authors.forename: José A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Duarte
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D020330:Bell Palsy / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000453:epidemiology*; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D005158:Facial Paralysis / Q000175:diagnosis; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011174:Portugal / Q000453:epidemiology; D011379:Prognosis; D012372:ROC Curve; D020127:Recovery of Function / Q000502:physiology*; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: Facial palsy; House-Brackmann Facial Grading System measure; Prognostic factors