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Validation of the Spanish version of the Sunnybrook facial grading system

  • Otology
  • Published:
European Archives of Oto-Rhino-Laryngology Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Purpose

The Sunnybrook facial grading system (SFGS) is one of the most widely employed tools to assess facial function. The present study aimed to determine the validity and reliability of the Spanish language version of the SFGS.

Methods

Forward–backward translation from the original English version was performed by fluent speakers of English and Spanish. Videos from 65 patients with facial paralysis (FP) were evaluated twice by five otolaryngologists with experience in FP evaluation. Internal consistency and intra- and inter-rater reliability were assessed. The House–Brackmann scale was used to display concurrent validity which was established by Spearman’s rho correlation.

Results

The Cronbach’s α score exceeded 0.70. The intra-rater intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC) was nearly perfect for the composite score (0.96–0.99), voluntary movements (0.97–0.99), and synkinesis (0.91–0.98), and important to almost perfect for symmetry at rest (0.79–0.97). In both evaluations, the inter-rater ICC was higher than 0.90 for the composite score (0.92–0.96) and voluntary movements (0.91–0.96) and slightly lower for symmetry at rest (0.66–0.85) and synkinesis (0.72–0.87). A strong negative correlation was found between the H–B scale and SFGS (Spearman’s rho coefficient = − 0.92, p < 0.001) in both evaluations.

Conclusion

The Spanish version of the SFGS is a reliable and valuable instrument for the assessment of facial function in the diagnosis and treatment of patients with FP.

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Data availability

The data presented in this study are available on reasonable request from the corresponding author.

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Acknowledgements

The authors would like to thank Patrick Connolly for edited a version of this manuscript.

Funding

This work was supported by a grant (PI20/01032) from Programa Estatal de Generación de Conocimiento y Fortalecimiento del Sistema Español de I + D + I, ISCiii, Spain.

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Author notes

  1. Isabel Sanchez-Cuadrado, Teresa Mato-Patino have contributed equally.

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Otolaryngology, La Paz University Hospital, P° Castellana, 261, 28046, Madrid, Spain

    Isabel Sanchez-Cuadrado, Teresa Mato-Patino, José Manuel Morales-Puebla, Julio Peñarrocha, Javier Gavilán & Luis Lassaletta

  2. Department of Preventive Medicine, La Paz University Hospital, Madrid, Spain

    Jesús Diez-Sebastian

  3. IdiPAZ Research Institute, Madrid, Spain

    Isabel Sanchez-Cuadrado, José Manuel Morales-Puebla, Javier Gavilán & Luis Lassaletta

  4. Biomedical Research Networking Centre on Rare Diseases (CIBERER), Institute of Health Carlos III (CIBERER-U761), Madrid, Spain

    José Manuel Morales-Puebla & Luis Lassaletta

Authors
  1. Isabel Sanchez-Cuadrado
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  2. Teresa Mato-Patino
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  3. José Manuel Morales-Puebla
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  5. Jesús Diez-Sebastian
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  6. Javier Gavilán
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Isabel Sanchez-Cuadrado.

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Conflict of interest

The authors have no relevant financial or non-financial interests to disclose.

Institutional review board statement

The study was conducted in accordance with the Declaration of Helsinki, and approved by the Ethics Committee CEICC La Paz University Hospital (PI-4599 11 de febrero de 2021).

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Sanchez-Cuadrado, I., Mato-Patino, T., Morales-Puebla, J.M. et al. Validation of the Spanish version of the Sunnybrook facial grading system. Eur Arch Otorhinolaryngol 280, 543–548 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00405-022-07484-7

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00405-022-07484-7

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