Treatment of Severe Hemifacial Spasm with Biofeedback

Abstract

A 35-year-old man with severe hemifacial spasm of 23 years' duration was treated with EMG biofeedback over five months. In addition to laboratory sessions and home sessions, the subject wore a pocket-size EMG monitor for a total of 472 hours during his daily activity. He could easily control his tic when attending to it, and also made major reductions in the frequency and EMG level when not attending (for example, during conversation) over the treatment period. At fourteen-month follow-up, two out of the three EMG measures taken during conversation were significantly lower than before treatment, but tic frequency during conversation was not. This report differs from other case reports in its careful attention to quantitative follow-up data and in the severity of the client's problem.