OBJECTIVES: To investigate the role played by aging in the recovery rate from peripheral facial nerve palsy. METHOD: In the present study, subjects affected by peripheral facial nerve palsy, distributed by age, were randomly assigned to medical treatment, either alone or associated with Kabat physical rehabilitation. Rate and speed of recovery were assessed in the younger and older groups. All the patients were also asked to fill in a specific questionnaire (beta FAce scale). A series of non-parametric tests (McNemar Chi-square and Chi-square) have been applied to verify the hypothesis of dependence of the final recovery level from the variables age and rehabilitation. RESULTS: The results show that, when treated only by medical therapy, the HB V subjects showed no significant age difference in relation to the achievement of a HB grade III (100% in the over 65, 80% in the under 65), whilst, in the HB IV subjects, the younger population showed a better recovery, with 89% of a good recovery (HB I or II). In the patients who received the combined protocol, a better recovery rate was found, both in HB IV and V subjects, and the younger population could reach a good recovery in 90% of HB V cases in respect to the older population (50%). CONCLUSIONS: This study has confirmed the importance of combining the physical rehabilitation to the steroid treatment for a better outcome from BP in all age groups, especially in the old HB grade V.

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