Effects of botulinum toxin type a on quality of life assessed with the WHOQOL-BREF in hemifacial spasm and blepharospasm

ObjectiveThe aim of the study was to compare Quality of life (QoL), depression and anxiety in hemifacial spasm (HFS) and essential blepharospasm (BSP) patients and to analyze the effect of Botulinum Toxin Type A (BtxA) therapy.Materials and methodsSeventy nine consecutive patients with HFS (N = 53, 76% women, mean age 58 years, mean disease duration 98 months) and BSP (N = 26, 62% women, mean age 63 years, mean disease duration 105 months) were included in this study. Quality of Life was measured by the World Health Organization Quality of Life Measurement Instrument Short Form, Turkish Version (WHOQOL-BREF TR), depression by the Hamilton Depression Rating Scale (HDRS) and anxiety by the Hamilton Anxiety Scale (HAS) before the treatment with BtxA and four weeks after the treatment.ResultsAt baseline, physical health, psychological well-being, and satisfaction with the environment domain scores of WHOQOL-BREF TR, HDRS and HAS scores were not significantly different in two patient groups. Social relationship domain score was found significantly higher in HFS group compared with BLS group. BtxA therapy resulted in a significant improvement of clinical symptom severity, of all domain scores of WHOQOL-BREF TR and of depression and anxiety scores in both HFS and BSP groups.ConclusionsThis study demonstrates significant benefit of Botulinum toxin therapy on quality of life, depression and anxiety in patients with BSP and HFS.