Hemifacial Spasm — A Multicenter, Observational Study to Evaluate Clinical Manifestation, Diagnosis and Treatment of Primary Hemifacial Spasm in Chinese Patients
Citation(s)
Au WL, Tan LC, Tan AK Hemifacial spasm in Singapore: clinical characteristics and patients ' perceptions. Ann Acad Med Singapore. 2004 May;33(3):324-8.
Kenney C, Jankovic J Botulinum toxin in the treatment of blepharospasm and hemifacial spasm. J Neural Transm (Vienna). 2008;115(4):585-91. Epub 2007 Jun 11. Review.
Tan EK, Fook-Chong S, Lum SY, Lim E Botulinum toxin improves quality of life in hemifacial spasm: validation of a questionnaire (HFS-30). J Neurol Sci. 2004 Apr 15;219(1-2):151-5.
Tan NC, Chan LL, Tan EK Hemifacial spasm and involuntary facial movements. QJM. 2002 Aug;95(8):493-500. Review.
Wang A, Jankovic J Hemifacial spasm: clinical findings and treatment. Muscle Nerve. 1998 Dec;21(12):1740-7.
Interventional studies are often prospective and are specifically tailored to evaluate direct impacts of treatment or preventive measures on disease.
Observational studies are often retrospective and are used to assess potential causation in exposure-outcome relationships and therefore influence preventive methods.
Expanded access is a means by which manufacturers make investigational new drugs available, under certain circumstances, to treat a patient(s) with a serious disease or condition who cannot participate in a controlled clinical trial.
Clinical trials are conducted in a series of steps, called phases - each phase is designed to answer a separate research question.
Phase 1: Researchers test a new drug or treatment in a small group of people for the first time to evaluate its safety, determine a safe dosage range, and identify side effects.
Phase 2: The drug or treatment is given to a larger group of people to see if it is effective and to further evaluate its safety.
Phase 3: The drug or treatment is given to large groups of people to confirm its effectiveness, monitor side effects, compare it to commonly used treatments, and collect information that will allow the drug or treatment to be used safely.
Phase 4: Studies are done after the drug or treatment has been marketed to gather information on the drug's effect in various populations and any side effects associated with long-term use.
