TY - JOUR T1 - Electromyographic Indicators for Assessing Facial Palsy Severity: Findings from a German Cohort and Prospects for Biofeedback Applications A1 - Felipe M. Torres A1 - Daniela R. Silva A1 - Nur S. Ismail JF - Bulletin of Pioneering Researches of Medical and Clinical Science JO - Bull Pioneer Res Med Clin Sci SN - 3006-2659 Y1 - 2022 VL - 2 IS - 1 DO - 10.51847/5AdawhWbG9 SP - 114 EP - 125 N2 - Facial palsy (FP) considerably reduces patients’ quality of life, making accurate severity assessment essential for personalized treatment. EMG-based biofeedback has shown potential in enhancing recovery outcomes. This prospective study aimed to identify EMG time series features that can both classify FP severity and inform biofeedback. Surface EMG was recorded from FP patients and healthy controls during three facial movements. Repeated-measures ANOVAs (rmANOVA) examined the effects of MOTION (movement/rest), SIDE (healthy/affected), and House–Brackmann (HB) score across 20 EMG parameters. Correlations between HB and EMG asymmetry indices were calculated, and Fisher scores assessed the relevance of features in distinguishing HB levels. A total of 55 participants (51.2 ± 14.73 years; 35 female) were included. RmANOVAs revealed a highly significant effect of MOTION across nearly all movement types (p < 0.001). Combining rmANOVA, correlation, and Fisher score analyses, at least 5 of 20 EMG parameters emerged as robust indicators for evaluating paresis severity and guiding biofeedback. These findings demonstrate that sEMG can reliably quantify FP severity and inform biofeedback interventions, even in severe cases, supporting its integration into personalized rehabilitation strategies, though further research is needed to optimize recovery outcomes.   UR - https://bprmcs.com/article/electromyographic-indicators-for-assessing-facial-palsy-severity-findings-from-a-german-cohort-and-mq39tgb31nrkjez ER -