Evidence map›Paper›PMID 38779725›Full record

ArticleMovement disorders clinical practice2024

Decompression Surgery in Elderly Patients with Hemifacial Spasm Refractory to Botulinum Toxin.

Margaret Tugend, Christina M Ulane, Kevin Patel, Raymond F Sekula

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Movement disorders clinical practice, 2024. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 1 paper.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
1citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from 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.

2 · The registry

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.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

1 citing paper in PubMed.

  1. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

4 authors.

Margaret TugendDepartment of Neurological Surgery, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York Presbyterian Hospital, New York, New York, USA.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8107-5538
Christina M UlaneDepartment of Neurology, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York Presbyterian Hospital, New York, New York, USA.
Kevin PatelDepartment of Neurology, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York Presbyterian Hospital, New York, New York, USA.
Raymond F SekulaDepartment of Neurological Surgery, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York Presbyterian Hospital, New York, New York, USA.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundBotulinum toxin is an effective treatment for hemifacial spasm in elderly patients. However, some patients do not tolerate the side effects and frequency of botulinum toxin treatments.

objectivesThe purpose of this study was to evaluate the characteristics and outcomes of a cohort of elderly patients referred by neurologists for surgical decompression of the facial nerve following botulinum toxin treatment.

methodsIn a prospective cohort study, logistic regression was used to detect potential predictors of spasm-freedom after surgical decompression of the facial nerve in elderly patients that received ≤8 and >8 botulinum toxin treatments for hemifacial spasm before surgery. Age, sex, side, preoperative symptom duration, and preoperative botulinum toxin treatment were assessed as potential predictors of spasm-freedom at last follow-up.

resultsOf 76 elderly patients with hemifacial spasm treated with botulinum toxin and microvascular decompression, with at least 2-years of follow-up (median, 44.5 months), 84.2% were spasm-free at last follow-up. Age (P = 0.38), sex (P = 0.59), side (P = 0.15), preoperative symptom duration (P = 0.7), and number of preoperative botulinum toxin treatments (P = 0.3) were not predictors of long-term spasm-freedom. Permanent ipsilateral hearing loss was the most frequent complication (3.9%).

conclusionThis study provides evidence that elderly patients can undergo botulinum toxin treatment for hemifacial spasm without compromising their likelihood of achieving spasm-freedom with future surgical decompression. Therefore, surgical decompression of the facial nerve is an effective therapy for elderly patients with hemifacial spasm refractory to botulinum toxin.

Indexed as

Hemifacial SpasmAgedAged, 80 and overBotulinum ToxinsBotulinum Toxins, Type ACohort StudiesDecompression, SurgicalFacial NerveFemaleHumansMaleMiddle AgedNeuromuscular AgentsProspective StudiesTreatment OutcomeBotulinum ToxinsBotulinum Toxins, Type ANeuromuscular Agentsbotoxbotulinum toxinelderlyhemifacial spasmmicrovascular decompressiontreatment refractory

Identifiers

PMID38779725
PMCPMC11329574

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

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.