Related Experiment Video
Updated: May 29, 2025

Facial Nerve Surgery in the Rat Model to Study Axonal Inhibition and Regeneration
Published on: May 5, 2020
Facial Nerve Palsy Amid the SARS-CoV-2 Pandemic: A Pooled Analysis
Ahmad A Mirza1,2, Abdulaziz H Almalki3, Faisal A Noori4,5
1Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Faculty of Medicine in Rabigh, King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.
Importance:
Idiopathic facial nerve palsy (FNP) has devastating sequelae and is potentially linked to coronavirus disease-19 (COVID-19).
Objective:
The rate of FNP was compared in the pandemic versus pre-pandemic periods. Furthermore, the risk of FNP was estimated among the COVID-19 vaccinated group.
Design:
Systematic review and meta-analysis.
Setting:
An electronic search was conducted in 7 databases: Scopus, Web of Science core collection, PubMed, Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, MEDLINE, Embase, and CINAHL.
Participants:
English observational studies investigating an association between idiopathic FNP and COVID-19 or its vaccination were included, irrespective of patients' demographics.
Exposures:
COVID-19 or COVID-19 vaccine.
Main Outcome Measures:
Change in FNP incidence between the pre-pandemic and pandemic periods; risk of developing FNP in individuals vaccinated against COVID-19 compared to those who were unvaccinated against COVID-19.
Results:
After excluding duplicates, the search yielded 906 related articles, of which 118 articles were included. The risk of FNP was statistically significantly higher during the COVID-19 pandemic than the pre-pandemic period (RR: 1.68, [95% CI: 1.16-2.43], P = .01). A nonsignificant increase in FNP risk was identified among COVID-19 vaccinated individuals compared to unvaccinated individuals (overall OR: 1.07, [95% CI: 0.85-1.35], P = .55).
Conclusions And Relevance:
A remarkable increase in FNP rates was identified during the pandemic compared to pre-pandemic, which seemed unlikely to be attributed to COVID-19 vaccination.
More Related Videos
09:03Nasal Brushing Sampling and Processing Using Digital High Speed Ciliary Videomicroscopy – Adaptation for the COVID-19 Pandemic
Published on: November 7, 2020
19:53Single-stage Dynamic Reanimation of the Smile in Irreversible Facial Paralysis by Free Functional Muscle Transfer
Published on: March 1, 2015
Related Concept Videos
Prosopagnosia
Cranial Nerves: Types Part II
Facial Nerve (Cranial Nerve VII)
Cranial nerve VII, or the facial nerve,...
Local Anesthetics: Differential Sensitivity of Nerve Fibers
Cranial Nerves: Types Part I
Olfactory Nerve (Cranial Nerve I)
The olfactory nerve, or cranial nerve I, is unique as it is purely sensory and dedicated to the sense of smell. This nerve originates in the olfactory epithelium of the...
Cranial Nerves: Overview and Anatomy