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Craniofacial Muscles

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306 J. Park et al.

Table 16.4 Drugs used for treatment of blepharospasm

Antipsychotics

Affective disorder drugs

Anxiolytics (Antianxiety drugs)

Stimulants

Sedatives

Muscle relaxants (Gamma aminobutyric acid, GABA)

Parasympathomimetics

Antimuscarinics

Anticholinergics

Anticonvulsants (Benzodiazepines)

Serotonin antagonists

Antihistamines

Phenothiazine, butyrophenone,

reserpine

Lithium carbonate, tetrabenazine

Meprobamate

Amphetamine

Phenobarbital

Baclofen

Lecithin, choline, physostigmine

Tincture of belladonna, scopolamine,

catecholamine synthesis inhibitors

Orphenadrine, trihexyphenidyl

Diazepam, clonazepam, lorazepam,

oxazepam

Cyproheptadine

Diphenhydramine hydrochloride

16.8.3 Oral Medications

Many drugs have been used for the treatment of blepharospasm and cranial dystonias

(Table 16.4 ) on the basis of three hypothetical pharmacological paradigms:

(1) cholinergic excess, (2) gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) hypofunction, and

(3) dopamine excess. Even though some drug studies have reported high percentages

of favorable patient responses, including lorazepam (67% of patients), donazepam

(42%), and trihexyphenidyl HCl (41%), in general, their effects are temporary

and only useful in a small number of patients. The side effects, which include sedation,

may be dangerous in older individuals. Oral medications control symptoms on

a long-term basis in only 25% of patients with cranial dystonia, and their long-term

use is usually limited by side effects. Thus, they are usually reserved as a second

line of treatment or adjuvant therapy for spasms that respond poorly to BoNT and

in patients with middle and lower face spasms, which are dif fi cult to treat with

BoNT injection.

16.8.4 Surgery

Surgery is not usually necessary and should be reserved for patients with severe

symptoms that have failed to respond to other forms of treatment. Options include

orbicularis myectomy, during which the orbicularis oculi and other muscles used in

eyelid closure are excised either surgically (Anderson et al. 1998 b) or chemically

(Wirtschafter and McLoon 1998 ) , and neurectomy, a procedure in which branches

of the facial nerve are cut (Kennedy et al. 1989 ) . However, signi fi cant numbers of

patients who undergo surgeries for blepharospasm need to continue BoNT injection

treatment after the surgery.

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