Affiliation:
1. Department of Neurology, National Institute of Mental Health and Neurosciences, Bengaluru, Karnataka, India
2. Neuroimaging and Interventional Radiology, National Institute of Mental Health and Neurosciences, Bengaluru, Karnataka, India
Abstract
Abstract
BACKGROUND:
Primary hemifacial spasm (HFS) is caused by neurovascular conflict (NVC) at the root entry zone of the facial nerve. The literature on non-motor symptoms (NMS) in HFS is limited.
OBJECTIVE:
Study aimed to assess NMS in patients with primary HFS.
METHODS:
A cross-sectional, hospital-based, case-control study recruited 50 patients with primary HFS and 50 age- and sex-matched controls. Depression, anxiety, sleep quality, and fatigue were assessed using Beck’s depression inventory (BDI), Hamilton anxiety rating scale (HAM-A), Pittsburgh sleep quality index (PSQI), and fatigue assessment scale (FAS), respectively.
RESULTS:
A total of 30 female patients and 28 female controls were included in the study. The mean age of patients was 50.7 ± 10.7 years and that of controls was 52.4 ± 8.7 years. Seventeen patients (34%) and five controls (10%) had depression. The mean BDI score was significantly higher in patients (8.2 ± 5.6 vs. 4.0 ± 3.8; p = 0.01). Anxiety occurred in 40 patients (80%) and 4 controls (8%) (p = 0.01). The mean HAM-A score was significantly higher in patients (14.1 ± 7.0 vs. 4.8 ± 3.9; p = 0.02). The frequency of poor sleepers was significantly higher in patients (26% vs. 4%; p = 0.01); however, there was no significant difference in the mean PSQI scores (3.7 ± 4.2 vs. 1.3 ± 1.7; p = 0.08). The mean FAS score did not differ significantly between the groups (16.3 ± 3.3 vs. 14.1 ± 3.2; p = 0.24), and the fatigue frequency was similar in both groups.
CONCLUSION:
Primary HFS is associated with depression, anxiety, and poor sleep. This finding emphasizes the necessity for a psychiatric evaluation of depression and anxiety in patients with primary HFS.