Evaluation of Cortisone Treatment in Children With Acute Facial Nerve Palsy

NCT ID: NCT03781700

Last Updated: 2025-02-21

Study Results

Results pending

The study team has not published outcome measurements, participant flow, or safety data for this trial yet. Check back later for updates.

Basic Information

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Recruitment Status

RECRUITING

Clinical Phase

PHASE4

Total Enrollment

500 participants

Study Classification

INTERVENTIONAL

Study Start Date

2019-05-03

Study Completion Date

2026-12-31

Brief Summary

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Acute facial nerve palsy occur in 10-20/100 000 children/year in Sweden. About 20 % of these children will have persistent symptoms with excessive tear secretion, drooling and social problems due to asymmetry in the face. Studies on cortisone treatment to adult patients with acute facial nerve palsy have shown beneficial effects, but no studies with strong quality have been performed in children.

Investigators will perform a double-blind randomized placebo-controlled multicenter trial on children with acute facial nerve palsy. Participants will be recruited consecutively at 9-12 study centers in Sweden during 2019-2020. Oral cortisone (prednisolone) 1 mg/kg x 1 in 10 days (or placebo) will be started on admission. Clinical data, including recovery will be followed-up until 12 months.

The primary outcome is defined as total recovery of the facial nerve palsy, measured with the House-Brackmann scale (grade 1) at 12-months follow-up.

The overall purpose is to assess the utility of cortisone treatment given to children with acute facial nerve palsy in this study. If the total recovery rate is significantly improved in the prednisolone group as compared to the placebo group, prednisolone treatment will be introduced in clinical practice for children with acute facial nerve palsy in order to reduce the risk of persistent symptoms.

Detailed Description

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Conditions

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Facial Palsy Facial Nerve Diseases Borrelia Infection of Central Nervous System Bell Palsy

Study Design

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Allocation Method

RANDOMIZED

Intervention Model

PARALLEL

Randomized controlled trial
Primary Study Purpose

TREATMENT

Blinding Strategy

QUADRUPLE

Participants Caregivers Investigators Outcome Assessors

Study Groups

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Prednisolone

Prednisolone

Group Type EXPERIMENTAL

Prednisolone

Intervention Type DRUG

Prednisolone 5 milligram tablets, 1 milligram per kilogram bodyweight per orally per day during 10 days, maximum 50 milligram per day.

Placebo

Placebo oral tablet

Group Type PLACEBO_COMPARATOR

Placebo Oral Tablet

Intervention Type DRUG

Placebo tablets with identical appearance to the experimental drug

Interventions

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Prednisolone

Prednisolone 5 milligram tablets, 1 milligram per kilogram bodyweight per orally per day during 10 days, maximum 50 milligram per day.

Intervention Type DRUG

Placebo Oral Tablet

Placebo tablets with identical appearance to the experimental drug

Intervention Type DRUG

Other Intervention Names

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Batch 18A71, Orifarm Generics A/S Batch 18A61, Orifarm Generics A/S

Eligibility Criteria

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Inclusion Criteria

1. 1-17 years of age
2. Acute peripheral unilateral facial nerve palsy
3. Less than 72 hours since debut of symptoms
4. Signed informed consent

Exclusion Criteria

1. Head trauma \<1 month
2. Central or bilateral facial nerve palsy
3. Malformations in head and neck
4. Conditions not compatible with cortisone treatment (arterial hypertension, diabetes mellitus, psychiatric disorder, active or latent tuberculosis, intolerance of lactose)
5. Current or past oncological diagnosis
6. Other serious medical conditions (meningitis, encephalitis, stroke)
7. Acute otitis media
8. Signs of herpes simplex or varicella zoster infection (vesicles in the ear region)
9. Pregnancy or breastfeeding
10. Use of any systemic or inhaled steroids within 2 weeks prior onset of symptoms
11. Immunization with live vaccine 1 month prior onset of symptoms
12. Requirement of live vaccine within 2 months from start of experimental treatment (prednisolone or placebo)
13. Evaluation of primary endpoint at 12 months not feasible for any reason
14. Previously included into the FACE study
Minimum Eligible Age

1 Year

Maximum Eligible Age

17 Years

Eligible Sex

ALL

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

No

Sponsors

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Karolinska Institutet

OTHER

Sponsor Role collaborator

Dalarna County Council, Sweden

OTHER

Sponsor Role lead

Responsible Party

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Barbro Hedin Skogman

MD, Assistant Professor

Responsibility Role PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR

Principal Investigators

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Barbro Hedin Skogman, MD, PhD

Role: STUDY_DIRECTOR

Center for Clinical Research Dalarna

Locations

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Barn- och ungdomsmedicin

Falun, Dalarna County, Sweden

Site Status RECRUITING

Barn och ungdomskliniken, Länssjukhuset

Kalmar, Region Kalmar, Sweden

Site Status RECRUITING

Barnkliniken, Skaraborgs sjukhus

Skövde, Västra Götalands Region, Sweden

Site Status RECRUITING

Barnmedicin Drottning Silvias Barn- och Ungdomssjukhus Östra Sjukhuset

Gothenburg, , Sweden

Site Status RECRUITING

Barn- och ungdomsmedicinska kliniken

Jönköping, , Sweden

Site Status RECRUITING

Barn- och ungdomsmottagning

Karlskrona, , Sweden

Site Status RECRUITING

HKH Kronprinsessan Viktorias Barn- och ungdomssjukhus

Linköping, , Sweden

Site Status RECRUITING

Akutmottagning för barn, Skåne Universitets sjukhus

Lund, , Sweden

Site Status RECRUITING

Barnakuten i Malmö, Skåne Universitets sjukhus

Malmo, , Sweden

Site Status RECRUITING

Barn- och ungdomskliniken, Vrinnevi sjukhuset

Norrköping, , Sweden

Site Status RECRUITING

Barn- och ungdomskliniken, Universitets sjukhuset Örebro

Örebro, , Sweden

Site Status RECRUITING

Astrid Lindgrens barnsjukhus, Karolinska Solna

Solna, , Sweden

Site Status RECRUITING

Sachsska barnsjukhuset

Stockholm, , Sweden

Site Status RECRUITING

Astrid Lindgrens barnsjukhus, Karolinska Huddinge

Stockholm, , Sweden

Site Status RECRUITING

Akademisk Barnsjukhuset

Uppsala, , Sweden

Site Status RECRUITING

Countries

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Sweden

Central Contacts

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Barbro Hedin Skogman, MD, PhD

Role: CONTACT

+46 (0)23 49 20 00

Sofia Karlsson, MD

Role: CONTACT

+46 (0)23 49 20 00

Facility Contacts

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Barbro Hedin Skogman

Role: primary

+46 (0)23 49 20 00

Anna Röcknert Tjernberg, PhD

Role: primary

+46(0)70-2370430

Carl Johan Törnhage, PhD

Role: primary

+46(0)76 250 76 15

Katarina Adrian

Role: primary

Thea Hamell

Role: primary

+46(0)10-2422000

Mia Olsson Engman

Role: primary

+46(0)455-734253

Peter Wide

Role: primary

+46(0)10-1030000

Karin Stålhammar

Role: primary

+46(0)46-17 10 00

Anna Karlsson

Role: primary

+46(0)40-33 10 00

Maria Nordwall

Role: primary

+46(0)10-103 00 00

Nisse Sandlund

Role: primary

+46(0)19-602 10 00

Sigurdur Arnason

Role: primary

+46(0)8-517 700 00

Charlotta Nordenhäll

Role: primary

+46(0)8-616 40 00

Åsa Fowler

Role: primary

+46(0)8-585 800 00

Åsa Laestadius

Role: primary

+46(0)18-611 00 00

References

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Karlsson S, Arnason S, Hadziosmanovic N, Laestadius A, Hultcrantz M, Marsk E, Skogman BH. The facial nerve palsy and cortisone evaluation (FACE) study in children: protocol for a randomized, placebo-controlled, multicenter trial, in a Borrelia burgdorferi endemic area. BMC Pediatr. 2021 May 4;21(1):220. doi: 10.1186/s12887-021-02571-w.

Reference Type DERIVED
PMID: 33947355 (View on PubMed)

Provided Documents

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Document Type: Study Protocol

View Document

Document Type: Statistical Analysis Plan

View Document

Other Identifiers

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2017-004187-35

Identifier Type: EUDRACT_NUMBER

Identifier Source: secondary_id

FACE-01

Identifier Type: -

Identifier Source: org_study_id

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