Inter-rater reliability of seven neurolaryngologists in laryngeal EMG signal interpretation.

Purpose: Laryngeal electromyography (LEMG) has been considered as gold standard in diagnostics of vocal fold movement impairment, but is still not commonly implemented in clinical routine. Since the signal interpretation of LEMG signals (LEMGs) is often a subjective and semi-quantitative matter, the goal of this study was to evaluate the inter-rater reliability of neurolaryngologists on LEMGs of volitional muscle activity.

Methods: For this study, 52 representative LEMGs of 371 LEMG datasets were selected from a multicenter registry for a blinded evaluation by 7 experienced members of the neurolaryngology working group of the European Laryngological Society (ELS).

Impact of extent of parotidectomy on early and long-term complications: A prospective multicenter cohort trial.

Background: In this prospective nonrandomized multicenter trial, we analyze the incidence of early and late complications after parotidectomy in correlation to the extent of dissection.

Methods: A total of 148 patients underwent a parotidectomy for a benign lesion in the superficial lobe. The number of intraoperatively dissected main facial nerve branches was photo-documented and defined the extent of tissue dissection.

Quantitative facial electromyography monitoring after hypoglossal-facial jump nerve suture.

Objectives/hypothesis: The time course of the reinnervation of the paralyzed face after hypoglossal-facial jump nerve suture using electromyography (EMG) was assessed. The relation to the clinical outcome was analyzed.

Study Design: Retrospective single-center cohort study.

Initial severity of motor and non-motor disabilities in patients with facial palsy: an assessment using patient-reported outcome measures.

Patients with facial palsy (FP) not only suffer from their facial movement disorder, but also from social and psychological disabilities. These can be assessed by patient-reported outcome measures (PROMs) like the quality-of-life Short-Form 36 Item Questionnaire (SF36) or FP-specific instruments like the Facial Clinimetric Evaluation Scale (FaCE) or the Facial Disability Index (FDI). Not much is known about factors influencing PROMs in patients with FP.

Nonmotor disabilities in patients with facial palsy measured by patient-reported outcome measures.

Objectives/hypothesis: To describe changes of motor and nonmotor disabilities in patient with peripheral facial palsy (FP) during treatment using the patient-reported outcome measures (PROMs) Facial Clinimetric Evaluation (FaCE), Facial Disability Index (FDI), and Short Form 36-Item Questionnaire (SF-36) and to analyze predictors for these changes

Study Design: Prospective, single-center longitudinal study.

Methods: One hundred twenty patients with FP underwent at least two PROMs between 2012 and 2015. Predictors for changes of the PROMs were analyzed univariately using Pearson's correlation and multivariately using linear regression models.