茎乳突孔部の電気刺激による瞬目反射の求心路の検討

Percutaneous electrical stimulation of the facial nerve trunk at the stylomastoid region elicited a short latency direct motor response (M) in the ipsilateral orbicularis oculi muscle, and late responses (R2) in the ipsi (iR2) and contralateral (cR2) orbicularis oculi muscles. However, the afferent pathway of the R2 had been unknown.
This study was performed to clarify if the afferent pathway was mediated through the facial nerve. Ninety eight patients with acute peripheral facial palsy (Bell's palsy: 78, herpes zoster oticus : 20) and 23 healthy volunteers served as the control group were studied. The rate of apperance, the latency and the area of the cR2 of those were measured and compared. There were no significant differences in the rate of apperance, latency, and area of the R2 between patients and controls. Therefore, it was concluded that the afferent pathway of the R2 was not mediated through the facial nerve. Auriculotemporal (V3) or great auricular nerve (C2, C3) might be the probable afferent pathway of the R2.