↓ Skip to main content

Brief electrical stimulation and synkinesis after facial nerve crush injury: a randomized prospective animal study

Overview of attention for article published in Journal of Otolaryngology - Head & Neck Surgery, March 2018
Altmetric Badge

Citations

dimensions_citation
16 Dimensions

Readers on

mendeley
31 Mendeley
You are seeing a free-to-access but limited selection of the activity Altmetric has collected about this research output. Click here to find out more.
Title
Brief electrical stimulation and synkinesis after facial nerve crush injury: a randomized prospective animal study
Published in
Journal of Otolaryngology - Head & Neck Surgery, March 2018
DOI 10.1186/s40463-018-0264-0
Pubmed ID
Authors

Adrian Mendez, Alex Hopkins, Vincent L. Biron, Hadi Seikaly, Lin Fu Zhu, David W. J. Côté

Abstract

Recent studies have examined the effects of brief electrical stimulation (BES) on nerve regeneration, with some suggesting that BES accelerates facial nerve recovery. However, the facial nerve outcome measurement in these studies has not been precise or accurate. Furthermore, no previous studies have been able to demonstrate the effect of BES on synkinesis. The objective of this study is to examine the effect of brief electrical stimulation (BES) on facial nerve function and synkinesis in a rat model. Four groups of six rats underwent a facial nerve injury procedure. Group 1 and 2 underwent a crush injury at the main trunk of the nerve, with group 2 additionally receiving BES for 1 h. Group 3 and 4 underwent a transection injury at the main trunk, with group 4 additionally receiving BES for 1 h. A laser curtain model was used to measure amplitude of whisking at 2, 4, and 6 weeks. Fluorogold and fluororuby neurotracers were additionally injected into each facial nerve to measure synkinesis. Buccal and marginal mandibular branches of the facial nerve were each injected with different neurotracers at 3 months following injury. Based on facial nucleus motoneuron labelling of untreated rats, comparison was made to post-treatment animals to deduce whether synkinesis had taken place. All animals underwent trans-cardiac perfusion with subsequent neural tissue sectioning. At week two, the amplitude observed for group 1 and 2 was 14.4 and 24.0 degrees, respectively (p = 0.0004). Group 4 also demonstrated improved whisking compared to group 3. Fluorescent neuroimaging labelling appear to confirm improved pathway specific regeneration with BES following facial nerve injury. This is the first study to use an implantable stimulator for serial BES following a crush injury in a validated animal model. Results suggest performing BES after facial nerve injury is associated with accelerated facial nerve function and improved facial nerve specific pathway regeneration in a rat model.

Mendeley readers

Mendeley readers

The data shown below were compiled from readership statistics for 31 Mendeley readers of this research output. Click here to see the associated Mendeley record.

Geographical breakdown

Country Count As %
Unknown 31 100%

Demographic breakdown

Readers by professional status Count As %
Student > Bachelor 6 19%
Unspecified 5 16%
Student > Master 4 13%
Researcher 3 10%
Student > Ph. D. Student 3 10%
Other 6 19%
Unknown 4 13%
Readers by discipline Count As %
Medicine and Dentistry 7 23%
Unspecified 5 16%
Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology 3 10%
Nursing and Health Professions 3 10%
Neuroscience 3 10%
Other 3 10%
Unknown 7 23%