# Surgical and Rehabilitative Management of Facial Nerve Injury

> **NIH NIH R01** · MASSACHUSETTS EYE AND EAR INFIRMARY · 2020 · $562,045

## Abstract

Project Summary
The long-term goal of our research is to investigate mechanisms to restore and optimize facial
movement in cases of facial paralysis. The specific goal of the proposed research is to develop
and study the long-term feasibility of a functional electrical stimulation (FES) paradigm to restore
dynamic symmetrical facial motion in a rodent model of unilateral facial palsy (UFP). We will
utilize conductive polymer electrode arrays to detect normal rodent facial muscle EMG activity
on one side of the face, and nerve cuff electrodes to evoke contralateral-side corresponding
muscle activity. We will couple the two systems via an implantable signal acquisition and
generation platform, and anticipate that digital signal processing can be applied to trigger near-
simultaneous and symmetric facial movement in rodents with UFP. We will begin by
establishing the relationship between EMG activity and normal rodent facial movement, and the
relationship between neural stimulation and evoked facial movements, under the hypothesis
that there exists a mathematical model that links electrical and functional data. We will then
construct a control algorithm for online processing of EMG input signals to drive FES, to
examine the hypothesis that it is possible to subjugate the movements on one side of the face to
normal movements on the opposite side. Importantly, we will also introduce proximal neural
blockade on the subjugated side in order to prevent undesired physiologic activation of the facial
musculature, to mimic clinically relevant scenarios for the application of these devices. Finally,
we plan to implement the FES paradigm using a novel implantable neuroprosthetic device
powered through inductive coupling, and demonstrate that neither the device, the presence of
electrodes, nor the application of electrical stimulation induces neuropathy or myopathy in the
long term. Knowledge gained from this research would be of immediate impact to the
implementation of an analogous system in humans suffering from UFP, and provide significant
impetus for the re-establishment of motor-neuron input to preserve native facial musculature
following severe facial nerve injury. Furthermore, the novel approach proposed here could be
applied to other clinical scenarios – such as functional muscle and nerve transfers – where poor
control and undesirable physiologic activation of a muscle occurs.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 9893030
- **Project number:** 5R01NS071067-10
- **Recipient organization:** MASSACHUSETTS EYE AND EAR INFIRMARY
- **Principal Investigator:** THERESA A HADLOCK
- **Activity code:** R01 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2020
- **Award amount:** $562,045
- **Award type:** 5
- **Project period:** 2010-07-01 → 2022-03-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/9893030

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 9893030, Surgical and Rehabilitative Management of Facial Nerve Injury (5R01NS071067-10). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-23 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/9893030. Licensed CC0.

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