Hemifacial spasm (HFS) is a neurological disorder characterized by involuntary facial muscle contractions and remains challenging to monitor and treat due to subjective diagnosis and limited long-term therapeutic options.

A research team from the School of Biomedical Engineering, in collaboration with the Department of Mechanical Engineering, Beijing Tsinghua Changgung Hospital, and Tsinghua University Yuquan Hospital, reports a closed-loop wearable facial nerve stimulation system that integrates triboelectric sensing with real-time neuromodulation.

The system incorporates zero-power triboelectric sensors with micrometer-scale hemispherical structures, enabling sensitive detection of subtle facial muscle activity. Coupled with a high-precision detection model, the system automatically triggers targeted facial nerve stimulation upon spasm detection, achieving a recognition accuracy of 98% in hemifacial spasm identification.

Preliminary clinical evaluation in two patients demonstrated a reduction in spasm severity, suggesting the potential of closed-loop, noninvasive neuromodulation approaches to improve patient compliance and daily usability.

Read more:  Closed-loop wearable neurostimulation system with triboelectric sensing to alleviate hemifacial spasms  (Nature Communications, January 10, 2026)  https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-025-67121-9?sessionid="