Communication Ability and Swallowing Function of Two Patients with Foix Chavany Marie Syndrome

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Foix Chavany Marie Syndrome (FCMS) was first reported by Foix [1] and others, derived from lesions, also called anterior operculum syndrome. According to Foix et al., in the case of facial muscles leading to facial muscles, speech utterance organs, and mastication muscles, cases were limited by severe voluntary movement due to pseudobulbar paralysis, but automatic movements such as laughter and crying. It is said that the movement by automatic movement and reflection was relatively kept. In Weller’s review [2] article, 62 cases allowed the differentiation of five clinical types: (A) the classical and most common form associated with cerebro-vascular disease; (B) a subacute form caused by central nervous system infections; (C) a developmental form probably most of ten related to neuronal migration disorders; (D) a reversible form in children with epilepsy; and (E) a rare type as associated with neuro degenerative disorders. Symptoms of FCMS are articulation disorder, masticatory muscle paralysis, dysphagia, bilateral lower face paralysis. Although intentional exercise is severely impaired, the part where unintended exercise such as laughter, crying is relatively kept is different from pseudosphere paralysis [3]. A particular functional deficit to be addressed in rehabilitation includes impairments to communication secondary to dysarthria and dysphagia, both of which are obstacles to activities of daily living (ADL). There have been reported rehabilitative interventions focused on impairments of vocalization in previous studies from overseas [2], whereas in recent years in Japan there have been reports of rehabilitative measures for dysphagia [4]. Although it is a relatively rare syndrome, there are differences in progress, pathology and prognosis, but in the case we experienced this time, improvement in swallowing function was observed by intervention of rehabilitation, so we report it compared with previous study.