Evidence map›Paper›PMID 39427272›Full record

Observational studyEuropean archives of oto-rhino-laryngology : official journal of the European Federation of Oto-Rhino-Laryngological Societies (EUFOS) : affiliated with the German Society for Oto-Rhino-Laryngology - Head and Neck Surgery2025

Impact of Bell's palsy in facial emotion recognition: a prospective observational study of 60 patients.

Diane Picard, Remi Hervochon, Elodie Lannadere, Frederic Tankere, Thomas Similowski, Peggy Gatignol

Abstract readObservational Study
PubMed Publisher
In one paragraph

Observational study in European archives of oto-rhino-laryngology : official journal of the European Federation of Oto-Rhino-Laryngological Societies (EUFOS) : affiliated with the German Society for Oto-Rhino-Laryngology - Head and Neck Surgery, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 2 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
2citing 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

2 citing papers in PubMed.

  1. Facial palsy reveals the sensorimotor contribution to facial-emotion recognition.Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America · 2026
    Article
  2. Review
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

6 authors.

Diane PicardAP-HP, ENT Department, Pitié-Salpêtrière University Hospital, 47/83 Boulevard de l'hôpital, Paris, Cedex 13, 75651, France. diane.picard@aphp.fr.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0001-5195-1760
Remi HervochonAP-HP, ENT Department, Pitié-Salpêtrière University Hospital, 47/83 Boulevard de l'hôpital, Paris, Cedex 13, 75651, France.
Elodie LannadereAP-HP, ENT Department, Pitié-Salpêtrière University Hospital, 47/83 Boulevard de l'hôpital, Paris, Cedex 13, 75651, France.
Frederic TankereAP-HP, ENT Department, Pitié-Salpêtrière University Hospital, 47/83 Boulevard de l'hôpital, Paris, Cedex 13, 75651, France.
Thomas SimilowskiSorbonne Université, INSERM, UMRS1158 Neurophysiologie Respiratoire Expérimentale et Clinique, Paris, France.
Peggy GatignolAP-HP, ENT Department, Pitié-Salpêtrière University Hospital, 47/83 Boulevard de l'hôpital, Paris, Cedex 13, 75651, France.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

purposePatients with Bell's palsy suffer from functional deficits and cannot convey their emotions through the face as well as they used to. According to embodied cognition, automatic mimicry and facial feedback modulate emotion perception. The aim of our study was to determine the impact of Bell's palsy on facial emotion perception. Facial motor skills, the use of botulinum toxin injections, and anxiety were studied.

methods60 patients completed Emotest-VA, an assessment tool of facial emotion perception, facial motor assessment and affective questionnaires. Facial perception scores of patients were compared to the normative data provided by Emotest-VA. Relationships between facial motor skills, anxiety and perceptual abilities were carried out with Pearson's correlations.

resultsPerception accuracy scores were abnormal in 12% of patients. Patients were more ambiguous than normative population to perceive emotion (t(23) = 4.14, p < .001). Happiness arousal was negatively correlated to smile asymmetry (n = 60, r=-.294 p = .022). Patients who received botulinum toxin were more accurate to perceive disgust (Z = 3.60, p < .001). State anxiety decreased when patients could improve their horizontal smile (r = - 440, p < .001).

conclusionBell's palsy impaired sensorimotor simulation, thereby reducing emotional contagion. Smile measures could indicate patients' recovery and patients' anxiety. It could also predict patient's perceptual abilities. These results provide new directions in the management of Bell's palsy. Additionally to physical therapy, it is relevant to improve emotional contagion both in its productive and perceptive aspects through facial feedback.

Indexed as

Bell PalsyEmotionsFacial ExpressionFacial RecognitionAdultAgedAnxietyFemaleHumansMaleMiddle AgedProspective StudiesSmilingYoung AdultBell’s palsyEmotion contagionEmotion perceptionFacial feedbackSmile

Identifiers

PMID39427272

What OpenQuestion holds

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Registered trials

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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.