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Electronic facial measurement scale comparable to standard grading system
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There was a moderately strong correlation in the measurement of facial function between the Sunnybrook Facial Grading System and the electronic and digital eFACE measurement scale, according to study results recently published in JAMA Facial Plastic Surgery.
Researchers conducted a retrospective medical review of 109 patients at a facial nerve center between Nov. 1, 2014, and May 31, 2015. Patients included those with peripheral unilateral facial palsy of unspecified duration who had intact cognitive function. The Sunnybrook Facial Grading system (FGS), which is a regional weighted system that is widely used by the medical and surgical and rehabilitation communities, and the eFACE, an emerging electronic facial assessment scale, were used by two independent physical therapists on the same day.
The researchers compared the function levels predicted by the two scales to evaluate their correlation. Data were analyzed between June 1 and Sept. 1, 2015.
The total Sunnybrook FGS synkinesis score (worst score, 15; perfect score 0) and static score (worst score, 20; perfect score, 0 “were normalized to 100-point scale with the eFACE scale (perfect score, 100; worst score, 1),” the researchers wrote.
There was a range of eFACE scores of 48 to 100, while the Sunnybook FGS scores had a range of 0 to 100. In total and subcategory scores, there was a moderately strong correlation between eFACE and Sunnybrook FGS scores among all patients.
“The Spearman rank correlation coefficient of the total eFACE and Sunnybrook FGS was 0.75 (r < .0001),” the researchers wrote.
The correlation coefficient was –0.71 (r < .0001) for the static scores, while the correlations were 0.77 (r < .0001) for total dynamic scores and –0.78 (r < .0001) for total synkinesis scores.
“There is moderately good agreement between Sunnybrook FGS and the eFACE,” the researchers concluded. “Based on this association and the potential advantages and ease of using the eFACE, the new instrument has the potential to become a widely used facial grading scale across all facial nerve disciplines.” – by Bruce Thiel
Disclosure: The researchers report no relevant financial disclosures.
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