Electrophysiological responses to Kabat motor control re-education on Bell’s Palsy: A randomized controlled study

OBJECTIVES: to investigate the Electrophysiological responses post-Kabat Motor Control Re-education in Bell’s palsy which might restore the neuromuscular circuit and normal function of the nerve. METHODS: Thirty children diagnosed with Bell’s palsy were equally divided into two groups; the study group that received Kabat Motor Control Re-education and the physical therapy selected designed program, and the control group that received physical therapy selected designed program. The outcomes included Electroneurography (ENoG) measuring distal latency, amplitude, and percentage of degenerations, and the Sunnybrook facial grading system (SFGS), as pre and post-treatment, all parameters were evaluated. RESULTS: The ENoG findings approved that post-intervention there was a significant improvement in the study group more than the control group (p<0.05), as the percent of change of latency, amplitude, and percent of degeneration for both frontalis and orbicularis oris of the study group was 18.12-13.6%, 88.3-107.8%, and 74.4-78.9% respectively and that of the control group was 10.8-7.7%, 63.4-69.4%, and 54.9-54.8% respectively, also the percent of change of SFGS post-treatment, for study and control groups was 234.1% and 209.1% respectively. CONCLUSION: The Electrophysiological responses approved that the advanced Kabat rehabilitation combined with motor control re-education training using extrinsic feedback cues had a valuable effect in the treatment of Bell’s Palsy. Clinical trials.gov ID: NCT04894513.