[The effects of cold on facial nerve function].

Synonyms like "paralysie á frigore" and "rheumatic palsy" imply a dysfunction of the vasa nervorum during coldness application. Cooling the nerve, however, only reduces perfusion by 18%. Cooling of the facial nerve with pure ice to 0 degrees C leads to a functional loss due to a blockade of the temperature-controlled Na-K-channels. The vasomotor regulation of the nerve vessels under these conditions seems to be relatively unimportant.