Clinical Model for Autologous Myoblast Therapy

The purpose of this study was to determine if stable facial paresis of the frontalis muscle represents a model for autologous myoblast therapy. It was hypothesized that stable facial paresis of the frontalis muscle can be quantitatively differentiated from the motion of normal and completely paralyzed frontalis muscles, respectively. The Maximal Static Response Assay of Facial Nerve Function was used to quantitate maximal excursion of the skin overlying the frontalis muscle, as indicated by eyebrow raise, in a group of normal individuals and a group of patients with clinically defined complete hemifacial paralysis. For patients in each group, a ratio of weak sided brow motion to strong sided brow motion (brow motion ratio) was calculated. Brow motion ratios of normal individuals were significantly different than those of patients with complete hemifacial paralysis. Importantly, a wide range of brow motion ratios exists between these two groups. This range was defined to quantitatively represent hemifacial...