Rebecka Ohm

Doctoral project: Observations on chronic facial dysfunction after peripheral facial palsy

Principal Supervisor: Elin Marsk

Co-supervisors: Birgit Stark, Fredrik Brännström, Filip Farnebo

Persistent sequelae following peripheral facial palsy can substantially reduce quality of life. This thesis aims to evaluate these sequelae from multiple perspectives:

• To investigate treatment needs in patients with long-term sequelae following peripheral facial palsy
• To identify patients at risk of ocular complications and evaluate tools that can help non-ophthalmologists recognize these patients
• To evaluate highly selective neurectomy as a surgical treatment for synkinesis, i.e., involuntary associated muscle movements, following peripheral facial palsy.
• To validate methods for assessing symptoms and severity of chronic facial palsy, including a Swedish version of the Dry Eye Questionnaire-5 (DEQ 5) and electromyography (EMG) as a tool for evaluating synkinesis severity.