SynthesisBMJ clinical evidence2014
Bell's palsy.
Synthesis in BMJ clinical evidence, 2014. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 41 papers, 2 of them syntheses that pooled it.
What it found
Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.
The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.
Who cites it
41 citing papers in PubMed, 2 syntheses or guidelines pooled it.
- Physical therapy for facial nerve paralysis (Bell's palsy): An updated and extended systematic review of the evidence for facial exercise therapy.Clinical rehabilitation · 2022Pooled it
- Facial Nerve Palsy Amid the SARS-CoV-2 Pandemic: A Pooled Analysis.Journal of otolaryngology - head & neck surgery = Le Journal d'oto-rhino-laryngologie et de chirurgie cervico-facialePooled it
- Incidence of Underlying Abnormal Findings on Routine Magnetic Resonance Imaging for Bell Palsy.JAMA network open · 2023Trial
- Time-Continuous Prognostic Mapping of Bell's Palsy Using Yanagihara Scores and Electroneurography.The Laryngoscope · 2026Article
- Corticosteroids and antiviral treatment for Bell's palsy (idiopathic facial paralysis).The Cochrane database of systematic reviews · 2026Article
- Revaluation of the tongue function of the modified hypoglossal-to-facial transfer: a comparative cohort study.Frontiers in neurology · 2026Article
- SMILE: neural signal acquisition and intra-body transmission for facial nerve bypass-An acute feasibility study and proof-of-concept in a rat model.Frontiers in neuroscience · 2026Article
- Need for Routine Brain Magnetic Resonance Imaging for Unilateral Facial Palsy in Emergency Department.Diagnostics (Basel, Switzerland) · 2025Article
- Risk Factors Associated With Bell's Palsy: A Real-World Analysis of 281,600 Patients.European journal of neurology · 2025Article
- Article
- Changes in the Nationwide Incidence of Bell's Palsy in the General Population Before and After the COVID-19 Pandemic: An Ecological Study.Journal of medical virology · 2025Article
- Article
- Review
- Update on Medical Management of Acute Peripheral Facial Palsy.Journal of audiology & otology · 2025Review
- Bell's palsy after concomitant chemoradiotherapy: a case report and literature review.Journal of dental anesthesia and pain medicine · 2024Article
- Program with last minute abstracts of the Padua Days on Muscle and Mobility Medicine, 27 February - 2 March, 2024 (2024Pdm3).European journal of translational myology · 2024Article
- Impact of Botulinum Toxin Injections on Quality of Life of Patients with Long-Standing Peripheral Facial Palsy.Toxins · 2024Article
- A Retrospective Review of Seasonal Patterns of Idiopathic Facial Nerve Paralysis in a Tertiary Care Center.Cureus · 2024Article
- Bell's palsy: a case report of unusual presentation in a patient with rhino-orbital cerebral mucormycosis.Journal of medical case reports · 2024Article
- Lower Motor Neuron Facial Palsy Following COVID-19 Infection and COVID-19 AZD1222 Vaxzervria (AstraZeneca) Vaccine Administration: Two Case Reports.International medical case reports journal · 2024Article
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
2 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
introductionBell's palsy is characterised by an acute, unilateral, partial, or complete paralysis of the face. Bell's palsy occurs in a lower motor neurone pattern. The weakness may be partial or complete, and may be associated with mild pain, numbness, increased sensitivity to sound, and altered taste. Bell's palsy is idiopathic, but a proportion of cases may be caused by re-activation of herpes virus at the geniculate ganglion of the facial nerve. Bell's palsy is most common in people aged 15 to 40 years, with a 1 in 60 lifetime risk. Most people make a spontaneous recovery within 1 month, but up to 30% show delayed or incomplete recovery. METHODS AND OUTCOMES: We conducted a systematic review to answer the following clinical questions: What are the effects of drug treatments for Bell's palsy in adults and children? What are the effects of physical treatments for Bell's palsy in adults and children? We searched: Medline, Embase, The Cochrane Library, and other important databases up to October 2013 (Clinical Evidence reviews are updated periodically, please check our website for the most up-to-date version of this review). We included harms alerts from relevant organisations such as the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the UK Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA).
resultsWe found 13 studies that met our inclusion criteria. We performed a GRADE evaluation of the quality of evidence for interventions.
conclusionsIn this systematic review, we present information relating to the effectiveness and safety of the following interventions: antiviral treatment, corticosteroids (alone or with antiviral treatment), hyperbaric oxygen therapy, and facial re-training.
Indexed as
Identifiers
24717284PMC3980711What OpenQuestion holds
Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.