Selective Dorsal Rhizotomy (SDR) is a neurosurgical procedure currently used as a surgical treatment of children with spasticity in their legs. In SDR, the dorsal roots from L2 to S1 or S2 is partially sectioned. The primary goal of SDR is to reduce spasticity and improve the range of movement with preservation of muscle strength. The dorsal roots involved in spasticity are identified on the ba...

Spasticity is a common manifestation of many neurological conditions including multiple sclerosis, stroke, cerebral palsy, traumatic brain injury, and spinal cord injuries. Management of spasticity seeks to reduce its burden on patients and to limit secondary complications. Non-operative interventions including stretching/splinting, postural management, physical therapy/strengthening, anti-spas...

BACKGROUND Spasticity affects more than 80% of people with multiple sclerosis (MS), affecting activity, participation, and quality of life. Based on an international guideline, an MS spasticity group education and stretching program, MS Spasticity: Take Control (STC), has been developed. OBJECTIVE The objective of this paper is to determine whether STC with home stretching is associated with ...

PURPOSE To explore the association between perceived spasticity and psychological factors (pain sensations, coping strategies, and illness cognitions) in chronic spinal cord injured (SCI) patients. METHODS Cross-sectional study using a set of questionnaires was designed for chronic complete patients with SCI and with self-reported leg spasticity. Outcome measures were Visual Analogue Scale fo...

ashworth and modified ashworth scales are the most widely used tests to assess the severity of muscle spasticity. these clinical scales offer qualitative and subjective information and consequently there are issues concerning reliability when two or more clinicians are involved in assessment of spasticity. this article presents the result of a study assessing inter-rater reliability of the orig...

Conventional clinical scales used for the evaluation of the spasticity have some limitations, and their reliability remains controversial. The aim of this study is to develop a portable spasticity measurement system for quantifying the grade of spasticity based on the K-means clustering algorithm of the tonic stretch reflex threshold (TSRT). Fifteen stroke patients (age: 63.5±15.6) participated...

Spasticity, contracture and muscle weakness are commonly seen in children with cerebral palsy. Although it is commonly accepted that spasticity is characterized with velocitydependent increase in muscle tone, it is not clear whether the commonly measured “catch” is dependent on the movement velocity. Furthermore, convenient and quantitative device/measurement in clinical setting for evaluating ...

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE Spasticity (hypertonicity) is a frequent problem that can develop after stroke and can lead to a number of secondary complications, such as contractures and pain. Consequently, many rehabilitation resources are used in treating the condition and its secondary complications. At present, the clinical assessment of spasticity incorporates descriptive scales of resistance to ...

OBJECTIVE To explore the occurrence of, and risk factors for, spasticity until 6 months after first-ever stroke. METHODS Forty-nine patients were examined at day 2-10, at 1 month, and at 6 months. The modified Ashworth Scale was used to assess resistance to passive movements. A comprehensive clinical examination was performed to identify other positive signs of upper motor neurone syndrome, i...

Most clinical tools for measuring spasticity, such as the Modified Ashworth Scale (MAS) and the Modified Tardieu Scale (MTS), are not sufficiently accurate or reliable. This study investigated the clinimetric properties of an instrumented spasticity assessment. Twenty-eight children with spastic cerebral palsy (CP) and 10 typically developing (TD) children were included. Six of the children wit...