Emotional facial palsy following striato-capsular infarction

J Neurol Neurosurg Psychiatry. 2008 Feb;79(2):193-4. doi: 10.1136/jnnp.2007.131813.

Abstract

Emotional facial palsy (EFP) is a rare condition in which facial paresis is only apparent during reflex movements of the hemiface, such as smiling and laughter. We report the case of a 32-year-old man presenting with EFP as the main symptom of a small striatocapsular infarction. Our case strongly suggests that the anterior arm of the internal capsule is part of the corticonuclear tract that is involved in emotional facial motility.

Publication types

  • Case Reports

MeSH terms

  • Adult
  • Basal Ganglia Cerebrovascular Disease / diagnosis
  • Basal Ganglia Cerebrovascular Disease / physiopathology*
  • Caudate Nucleus / pathology
  • Caudate Nucleus / physiopathology
  • Corpus Striatum / pathology
  • Corpus Striatum / physiopathology*
  • Diffusion Magnetic Resonance Imaging
  • Dominance, Cerebral / physiology
  • Emotions / physiology*
  • Facial Expression*
  • Facial Muscles / innervation
  • Facial Paralysis / diagnosis
  • Facial Paralysis / physiopathology*
  • Humans
  • Infarction, Middle Cerebral Artery / diagnosis
  • Infarction, Middle Cerebral Artery / physiopathology*
  • Internal Capsule / pathology
  • Internal Capsule / physiopathology*
  • Male
  • Motor Neurons / physiology
  • Neural Pathways / pathology
  • Neural Pathways / physiopathology
  • Putamen / pathology
  • Putamen / physiopathology
  • Smiling / physiology