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Podcast: Think Neuro
Episode: 15. A Delicate Surgery That Cures Debilitating Facial Spasms | Dr. Neil A. Martin
Description: Imagine a twitch that won’t go away. Worse yet, imagine that twitch is in your face. That’s what sufferers of hemifacial spasms experience, day in and day out. The spasms originate deep in the brain, where it connects with the spinal cord. In this crowded channel, the nerves that control facial muscles ride close by blood vessels. As those vessels age, they can sag and come into contact with one of the facial nerves. The pulsing of blood compresses the nerve, 70 times a minute, 24-hours a day, eventually wearing down the insulation on the nerve, causing it to misf...