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Published on: September 1, 2023
Motor and non-motor symptoms in blepharospasm: clinical and pathophysiological implications
Gina Ferrazzano1, Isabella Berardelli2, Antonella Conte1,3
1IRCCS Neuromed, Via Atinense 18, 86077, Pozzilli, IS, Italy.
Introduction:
Patients with blepharospasm in addition to involuntary contraction of the orbicularis oculi muscle also have non-motor symptoms (psychiatric, sleep, cognitive, and ocular). In this paper, we investigated the relationship of non-motor with motor symptoms and the total burden of non-motor symptoms in patients with blepharospasm. Results were compared with those of age- and sex-matched healthy controls.
Methods:
We enrolled 60 patients with blepharospasm and 40 age-matched healthy controls. In all patients, the severity of blepharospasm was assessed clinically with the Blepharospasm Severity Rating Scale. All the participants underwent a psychiatric, sleep, cognitive, and ocular symptom evaluation. We investigated the correlations between motor, non-motor symptoms, and patients' clinical and demographic features.
Results:
The frequency of psychiatric, sleep, and cognitive disorders and ocular symptoms was higher in blepharospasm patients than in healthy controls. Non-motor symptoms coexisted in the majority of patients and there was no correlation between non-motor and motor symptoms. The total burden of non-motor symptoms did not associate with motor symptoms and demographic features in blepharospasm.
Conclusions:
Non-motor symptoms are independent of motor features and likely belong to the clinical spectrum of blepharospasm. The presence of non-motor symptoms possibly reflects a complex network disorder of blepharospasm.
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