Abstract
We made a quantitative inspection for paresthesia around the oral cavity of patients withapoplectic hemiplegia.
The inspection was performed on 34 patients with apoplectic hemiplegia and on 24 healthypeople: the former consisted of 30 males and 4 females with ages in the range of 45.6±9.8years old (from 18 through 63) while the latter consisted of 22 males and 2 females with agesin the range of 44.6±10.6 years old (from 23 through 63).
There were no differences in age between the two groups.
We made a measurement instrument to make a tactile sensation inspection, following the von Frey test.
We measured the upper lip and upward cheek in the second branch area, and furthermore, the lower lip and the downward cheek in the third branch area of the trigeminal nerve; with the total on both right and left sides, each of which we measured on the skin surface.
The tactile sensation inspection began at 250mg and ended at 2g. The inspection was evaluated at five grades; we evaluated it as Grade 1 when 250mg is sensed, Grade 2 when 500 mg is sensed, Grade 3 when 1g is sensed, Grade 4 when 2g is sensed and Grade 5 when 2g is not sensed.
The result was as follows; among the healthy people, all the cases were evaluated as Grade 1, except that two cases of the upward cheek and one case of the downward cheek were evaluated as Grade 2, the normanl value could be assumed to be less than 250mg and no difference was found between the right and the left sides. However among the patients with apolectic hemiplegia, there were significant differences in the second and the third branch areas between the focal and the healthy side. As for the result by measured pats, there was less increase of the tactile sensation threshold.
No clear relation was found between the focal portion and the tactile sensation. We could not predict a tactile sensation defect from a CT-scanned focal picture nor presume, conversely, the focus from the degree of tactile sensation.
