Ricerc@Sapienza

Recurrent Bell’s palsy (RBP) has been reported to range from 2.6 to 15.2% of primary Bell’s palsy (BP) and has been associated with systemic comorbidities such as diabetes and hypertension. A retrospective analysis of patients affected by BP and RBP were performed to define the signs and symptoms associated with recurrence and the outcomes. Clinical and subjective characteristics of 341 patients affected by facial palsy were analysed. Facial function was assessed via House-Brackmann and Sunnybrook grading system.

BACKGROUND: Using functional MRI (fMRI), we explored cortical activation in patients with acute
Bell’s palsy (BP) and analyzed its correlates with clinical status in the acute phase, and with 6-monthoutcome.
METHODS: 24 right-handed patients with acute BP within 15 days of onset and 24 healthy controls
underwent fMRI during performance of unilateral active (hemi-smiling) and passive lip movement tasks
with both the paretic and the normal lip. The degree of paresis was evaluated during the acute stage and