Session Information
Date: Monday, June 20, 2016
Session Title: Quality of life/caregiver burden in movement disorders
Session Time: 12:30pm-2:00pm
Location: Exhibit Hall located in Hall B, Level 2
Objective: Hemifacial spasm (HFS) is a chronic disease that is characterized by involuntary tonic and clonic contractions of the muscles innervated by the ipsilateral facial nerve. Botulinum toxin (BTX) is the most effective medical treatment of this condition.
Background: The aim of our study was to evaluate stigma among patients diagnosed HFS and to search quality of life and depression before and after BTX injection.
Methods: Seven self rating items (HFS-7) and seven questions related to stigmatization were administered to HFS patients. Participants also answered SF-36 health outcome measure and BECK depression inventory before and four weeks after the routine botilinum toxin injection. The severity of HFS was graded based on a five point scale. Descriptive statistics and paired t-test was applied. The level of significance was set at alpha=0.05.
Results: 39 HFS patients (mean age of 56,9 years, SD=12,22, min-max: 27-78) were prospectively included. 20 (51,3 %) were female, 19 (48,7 %) were male. 6 patients could not answer the questions since they were in the period of 4 weeks after the injection. Cronbach’s coefficient of reliabillity for the HFS-7 questionnaire was 0,73, for the SF-36 before and after botox injection were 0,88 and 0,90, respectively. BECK depression inventory scores improved after botox injection significantly (p<0.05). SF-36 scores did not change after injection significantly (p>0.05) and a significant medium-strong level of correlation between pre- and post-botox injection SF-36 subscales could be observed (p<0.05). 59% (n:23) of patients were feeling themselves different from people without HFS. 46, 1% of patients had moderate and severe disability based on a five point severity scale.
Conclusions: This study showed positive improvement of Beck Depression Inventory Scores after botox injection in patients with HFS. The SF-36 health outcome measure did not show any change after botox injection.
To cite this abstract in AMA style:
B. Yuksel, F. Genc, A. Yaman, P. Dogan Ak, E. Ozaydin Goksu, A. Aybar, Y. Bicer Gomceli. Evaluation of stigmatization and quality of life before and after botulinum toxin treatment in hemifacial spasm [abstract]. Mov Disord. 2016; 31 (suppl 2). https://www.mdsabstracts.org/abstract/evaluation-of-stigmatization-and-quality-of-life-before-and-after-botulinum-toxin-treatment-in-hemifacial-spasm/. Accessed June 15, 2025.« Back to 2016 International Congress
MDS Abstracts - https://www.mdsabstracts.org/abstract/evaluation-of-stigmatization-and-quality-of-life-before-and-after-botulinum-toxin-treatment-in-hemifacial-spasm/