Peripheral facial palsy: Speech, communication and oral motor function.
OBJECTIVE
The aim of the present study was to examine the effect of acquired unilateral peripheral facial palsy on speech, communication and oral functions and to study the relationship between the degree of facial palsy and articulation, saliva control, eating ability and lip force.


METHODS
In this descriptive study, 27 patients (15 men and 12 women, mean age 48years) with unilateral peripheral facial palsy were included if they were graded under 70 on the Sunnybrook Facial Grading System. The assessment was carried out in connection with customary visits to the ENT Clinic and comprised lip force, articulation and intelligibility, together with perceived ability to communicate and ability to eat and control saliva conducted through self-response questionnaires.


RESULTS
The patients with unilateral facial palsy had significantly lower lip force, poorer articulation and ability to eat and control saliva compared with reference data in healthy populations. The degree of facial palsy correlated significantly with lip force but not with articulation, intelligibility, perceived communication ability or reported ability to eat and control saliva.


CONCLUSIONS
Acquired peripheral facial palsy may affect communication and the ability to eat and control saliva. Physicians should be aware that there is no direct correlation between the degree of facial palsy and the possible effect on communication, eating ability and saliva control. Physicians are therefore recommended to ask specific questions relating to problems with these functions during customary medical visits and offer possible intervention by a speech-language pathologist or a physiotherapist.
Karolinska Institutet, Department of Clinical Science, Intervention and Technology, Division of Speech and Language Pathology, 141 86 Stockholm, Sweden; Karolinska University Hospital, Department of Speech and Language Pathology, 141 86 Stockholm, Sweden.
T
T
Movérare
Karolinska Institutet, Department of Clinical Science, Intervention and Technology, Division of Speech and Language Pathology, 141 86 Stockholm, Sweden; Karolinska University Hospital, Department of Speech and Language Pathology, 141 86 Stockholm, Sweden.
A
A
Lohmander
Karolinska Institutet, Department of Clinical Science, Intervention and Technology, Division of Ear, Nose and Throat Diseases, 171 76 Stockholm, Sweden; Karolinska University Hospital, Department of Otorhinolaryngology and Head and Neck Surgery, 171 76 Stockholm, Sweden.
M
M
Hultcrantz
University of Gothenburg, Institute of Neuroscience and Physiology, Division of Speech and Language Pathology, Mun-H-Center Orofacial Resource Centre for Rare Diseases, Box 7163, 402 33 Gothenburg, Sweden. Electronic address: lotta.sjogreen@vgregion.se.
L
L
Sjögreen
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001184:Articulation Disorders / Q000503:physiopathology*; D004435:Eating / Q000502:physiology; D005158:Facial Paralysis / Q000503:physiopathology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008046:Lip / Q000503:physiopathology*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012798:Sialorrhea / Q000503:physiopathology; D013065:Speech Intelligibility / Q000502:physiology*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D055815:Young Adult
Articulation disorder; Communication; Deglutition disorder; Facial paralysis; Saliva control; Speech intelligibility