Frequency of psychiatric disorders in blepharospasm does not differ from hemifacial spasm

Dias FM, Doyle F, Kummer A, Cardoso F, Fontenelle LF, Teixeira AL. Frequency of psychiatric disorders in blepharospasm does not differ from hemifacial spasm.

To compare the frequency of psychiatric disorders and the severity of psychiatric symptoms between patients with blepharospasm (BS) and hemifacial spasm (HS).

BS is a type of primary focal dystonia characterised by recurrent and involuntary eye blinking. HS is a condition with different pathophysiology but similar clinical phenotype. Twenty-two patients with BS and 29 patients with HS participated in this study. They underwent a comprehensive psychiatric evaluation that included a structured clinical interview for current psychiatric diagnosis according to Diagnostic Statistical Manual, fourth edition (DSM-IV) (MINI-Plus) and psychometric scales, including the Yale-Brown Obsessive-Compulsive Scale (YBOCS), the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI), the Hamilton Rating Scale for Depression (HRSD), the Hamilton Anxiety Scale (HAS) and the Liebowitz Social Anxiety Scale (LSAS).

BS and HS groups did not differ in most demographic and clinical parameters, such as gender, age and length of symptoms. The frequency of psychiatric disorders and the severity of psychiatric symptoms were similar in both groups.

BS does not seem to have more psychiatric disorders than HS.