Summary
In patients with hemifacial spasm (HFS), the spasm is due to cross-compression of the facial nerve by a blood vessel. There are currently two hypotheses for the mechanism of HFS: 1) the spasm is caused by ephaptic transmission and an increase in excitability at the site of compression; and 2) the spasm is caused by hyperexcitability in the facial nerve nucleus. In peripheral nerves, F-waves, which result from the backfiring of antidromically activated anterior horn cells, have been proposed as indices of proximal motoneuron conduction and anterior horn cell excitability. Enhancement of the F-waves indicates increased anterior horn cell excitability. We have therefore measured F-waves in the facial muscle of HFS patients in order to investigate the exitability of the facial nerve nucleus.
The authors obtained facial nerve evoked responses from 20 HFS patients before microvascular decompression (MVD), 10 HFS patients after MVD and 10 healthy controls. The F-waves, obtained with surface electrodes from the mentalis muscle, were the second response after the M-wave. On the patient's spasm side, the F-wave duration, F/M amplitude ratio and frequency of F-wave appearance significantly increased compared with those of the normal side or healthy controls; minimum latency and chronodispersion did not significantly differ between these groups. In patients whose spasm disappeared completely following MVD, the abnormal muslce response (lateral spread), which is a characteristic sign of HFS, and the enhancement of the F-wave eventually also disappeared. Because of the correlation between HFS and F-waves, the authors' study supports the hypothesis that the cause of HFS is hyperexcitability of the facial motonucleus.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Auger RG, Piepgras DG, Laws ER Jr (1986) Hemifacial spasm: results of microvascular decompression of the facial nerve in 54 patients. Mayo Clin Proc 61: 640–644
Ahiron A, Sarova-Pinhas I (1984) The value of F-wave in Bell's palsy — a study of F-wave response in the facial muscles. Electromyogr Clin Neurophysiol 24: 99–106
Bischoff C, Schoenle PW, Conrad B (1992) Increased F-wave duration in patients with spasticity. Electromyogr Clin Neurophysiol 32: 449–453
Chun-I Huang, Ih-Hsin Chen, Liang-Shong Lee (1992) Microvascular decompression for hemifacial spasm: analysis of operative findings and results in 310 patients. Neurosurgery 30: 53–57
Domen K, Saito E, Namiki J, Kimura A, Chino N, Toya S (1990) F-wave of the facial nerve: a preliminary report on its possible clinical application. Facial N Res Jpn 10: 41–44
Drory VE, Neufeld MY, Korczyn AD (1993) F-wave characteristics following acute and chronic upper motor neuron lesions. Electromyogr Clin Neurophysiol 33: 441–446
Eisen A, Odusote (1979) Amplitude of the F-wave: a potential means of documenting spasticity. Neurology 29: 1306–1309
Esteban A, Molina-Negro P (1986) Primary hemifacial spasm: a neurophysiological study. J Neurol Neurosurg Psychiatry 49: 58–63
Ferguson JH (1978) Hemifacial spasm and the facial nucleus. Ann Neurol 4: 97–103
Fierro B, Raimondo D, Modica A (1993) F-wave study at different stimulation rates in upper motoneurone lesions. Electromyogr Clin Neurophysiol 33: 27–31
Fisher MA, Shahani BT (1978) Assessing segmental excitability after rostral lesions: 1. The F response. Neurology 28: 1265–1271
Fisher MA (1991) Inhibition of motoneuron discharge by peripheral nerve stimulation: an F response analysis. Muscle Nerve 14: 120–123
Fox JE, Hitchcock ER (1987) F-wave size as a monitor of motor neuron excitability: the effect of deafferentation. J Neurol Neurosurg Psychiatry 50:
Fullerton PM, Gilliatt RW (1965) Axon reflexes in human motor nerve fibres. J Neurol Neurosurg Psychiatry 28: 1–11
Gardner WJ (1962) Concerning the mechanism of trigeminal neuralgia and hemifacial spasm. J Neurosurg 19: 947–958
Howe JF, Calvin WH, Loeser JD (1976) Impulses reflected from dorsal root ganglia and from focal nerve injuries. Brain Res 116: 139–144
Ishikawa M, Namiki J, Gotoh K, Ajim Y, Ohira T, Toya S, Domen K, Chino N (1992) F-wave of the facial muscle at rest and during voluntary contraction. Facial N Res Jpn 12: 183–188
Iwakuma T, Matsumoto A, Nakamura N (1982) Hemifacial spasm: comparison of three different operative procedures in 110 patients. J Neurosurg 57: 753–756
Jannetta PJ (1990) Cranial rhizopathies. In: Youmans JR (ed) Neurological surgery, Vol 6. Saunders, Philadelphia, pp 4169–4182
Kimura J (1989) The F-wave. In: Electrodiagnosis in diseases of nerve and muscle: principles and practice. Davis, Philadelphia, pp 332–355
Kimura J (1989) The blink reflex. In: Electrodiagnosis in diseases of nerve and muscle: principles and practice. Davis, Philadelphia, pp 307–331
Kimura J (1992) The blink reflex as a clinical test. In: Aminoff NJ (ed) Electrodiagnosis in clinical neurology, 3rd Ed. Churchill Livingstone, New York, pp 1369–1402
Komori T, Narita S, Matsunaga M, Kurahashi K, Takebe K (1981) F response in spastic spinal paralysis. Clin Neuroi 21: 517–521
Kumagami H (1974) Neuropathological findings of hemifacial spasm and trigeminal neuralgia. Arch Otolaryngol 99: 160–164
Kuroki A, Møller AR (1994) Facial nerve demyelination and vascular compression are both needed to induce facial hyperactivity: a study in rats. Acta Neurochir (Wien) 126: 149–157
Milanov IG (1992) F-wave for assessment of segmental motoneurone excitability. Electromyogr Clin Neurophysiol 32: 11–15
Møller AR, Jannetta PJ (1984) On the origin of synkinesis in hemifacial spasm: result of intracranial recordings. J Neurosurg 34: 569–576
Møller AR, Jannetta PJ (1986) Blink reflex in patients with hemifacial spasm: observations during microvascular decompression operations. J Neurol Sci 72: 171–182
Møller AR, Jannetta PJ (1987) Monitoring facial EMG responses during microvascular decompression operations for hemifacial spasm. J Neurosurg 66: 681–685
Møller AR, Sen CN (1990) Recordings from the facial nucleus in the rat: signs of abnormal facial muscle response. Exp Brain Res 81: 18–24
Møller AR (1991) Interaction between the blink reflex and the abnormal muscle response in patients with hemifacial spasm: results of intraoperative recordings. J Neurol Sci 101: 114–123
Møller AR (1991) The cranial nerve vascular compression syndrome: II. a review of pathophysiology. Acta Neurochir (Wien) 113: 24–30
Nakazumi Y, Tani T, Kameyama S, Fuchigami Y, Kimura J (1990) Late response elicited during voluntary contraction: is it an F-wave or an H-reflex. Jpn J EEG EMG 18: 54–59
Namiki J, Nakatsukasa M, Ajimi Y, Tamura K, Shiobara R, Toya S (1989) F-wave of the facial muscle in cat. Facial N Res Jpn 9: 35–48
Namiki J, Ajimi Y, Tamura K, Ohira T, Toya S, Domen K, Saito E, Chino N, Nakatsukasa M (1990) F-wave of the facial muscle in cat: recordings by surface electrodes. Facial N Res Jpn 10: 37–40
Namiki J, Domen K, Saito E, Chino N, Ohira T, Toya S (1991) F-wave of the facial muscles in patients with hemifacial spasm. Facial N Res Jpn 11: 63–68
Nielsen VK (1984) Pathophysiological aspects of hemifacial spasm: Part I. Evidence of ectopic excitation and ephaptic transmission. Neurology (NY) 34: 418–426
Nielson VK (1984) Pathophysiological aspects of hemifacial spasm: Part II. Lateral spread of the supraorbital nerve reflex. Neurology (NY) 34: 427–431
Nielsen VK (1985) Electrophysiology of the facial nerve in hemifacial spasm: ectopic/ephaptic excitation. Muscle Nerve 8: 545–555
Ohira R, Moro K (1989) The problems in microvascular decompression for the treatment of hemifacial spasm and electrophysiological monitoring. Facial N Res Jpn 9: 205–208
Panayiotopoulos CP (1979) F chronodispersion: a new electrophysiologic method. Muscle Nerve 2: 68–72
Ramon F, Moor JW (1978) Ephaptic transmission in squid axons. Am J Physiol 234: 162–167
Roth G, Magistris MR, Pinell P, Rilliet B (1990) Cryptogenic hemifacial spasm. A neurophysiological study. Electromyogr Clin Neurophysiol 30: 361–370
Ruby JR, Jannetta PJ (1975) Hemifacial spasm: ultrastructural changes in the facial nerve induced by neurovascular compression. Surg Neurol 4: 369–370
Saito S, Itagaki S, Nakai O (1990) Neurophysiological study on hemifacial spasm: the abnormality and origin of the electromyograpic response to stimulation of the facial nerve. Brain Nerve (Tokyo) 42: 621–627
Sawnhey BB, Kayan A (1970) A study of the F-wave from the facial muscles. Electromyography 3: 287–295
Sen CN, Møller AR (1987) Signs of hemifacial spasm created by chronic periodic stimulation of the facial nerve in the rat. Exp Neurol 98: 336–349
Trontelj JV, Trontelj M (1973) F-responses of human facial muscles. A single motoneurone study. J Neurol Sci 20: 211–222
Valls-Sole J, Eduardo S, Tolosa (1989) Blink reflex excitability cycle hemifacial spasm. Neurology 39: 1061–1066
Woltman HW, Williams HL, Lanbert EH (1951) An attempt to relieve hemifacial spasm by neurolysis of the facial nerves. A report of two cases of hemifacial spasm with reflections of the nature of the spasm, the contracture and mass movement. Proc Staff Meet Mayo Clin 26: 236–240
Wartenburg R (1952) Hemifacial spasm. A clinical and pathophysiological study. Oxford University Press New York
Zappia M, Valentino P, Marchello LP, Paniccia M, Montagna P (1994) F-wave normative studies in different nerves of healthy subjects. Electromyogr Clin Neurophysiol 24: 99–106
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Ishikawa, M., Ohira, T., Namiki, J. et al. Electrophysiological investigation of hemifacial spasm: F-waves of the facial muscles. Acta neurochir 138, 24–32 (1996). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01411719
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01411719