BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE Spasticity is a frequently observed motor impairment that develops after stroke; it can cause pain and disability in those affected. The objective of the present study was to evaluate the safety and efficacy of tizanidine, a centrally acting alpha(2)-adrenergic agonist, in the treatment of stroke-related spasticity. METHODS Forty-seven patients, who were a minimum of 6 ...

Association between the site of brain injury and poststroke spasticity is poorly understood. The present study investigated whether lesion analysis could document brain regions associated with the development of severe upper limb poststroke spasticity. A retrospective analysis was conducted on 39 chronic stroke patients. Spasticity was assessed at the affected upper limb with the modified Ashwo...

OBJECTIVE To investigate the long-term efficacy of neuromuscular electrical stimulation in enhancing motor recovery in the upper extremities of stroke patients. METHODS A total of 46 patients with stroke were assigned to a neuromuscular electrical stimulation group or a control group. All patients received a standard rehabilitation programme. Patients in the neuromuscular electrical stimulati...

OBJECTIVE To investigate the effects of tetanic faradic stimulation in an antagonist muscle (tibialis anterior) on agonist muscles (gastro-soleus). In addition, to show the effects of maintaining agonist muscle strength on antagonist spastic muscle group to improve gait parameters in children with spastic hemiplegia. METHODS We carried out the study at Pamukkale University, School of Physical...

OBJECTIVE The primary goal was to identify the neuroradiological and neurophysiological risk factors for upper-extremity hypertonia in patients with severe ischaemic supratentorial stroke. DESIGN Inception cohort. PATIENTS Forty-three consecutive patients with an acute ischaemic supratentorial stroke and an initial upper-extremity paralysis admitted to an academic hospital recruited over a ...

Stroke welcomes Letters to the Editor and will publish them, if suitable, as space permits. They should not exceed 750 words (including references) and may be subject to editing or abridgment. Please submit letters in duplicate, typed double-spaced. Include a fax number for the corresponding author and a completed copyright transfer agreement form (available online at The report from Lundstrom ...

The Modified Modified Ashworth Scale (MMAS) is a clinical instrument for measuring spasticity. Few studies have been performed on the reliability of the MMAS. The aim of the present study was to investigate the intrarater reliability of the MMAS for the assessment of spasticity in the lower limb. We conducted a test-retest study on spasticity in the hip adductors, knee extensors, and ankle plan...

[Purpose] The purpose of this case series was to determine the effects of robot-assisted hand rehabilitation with a Gloreha device on skeletal muscle perfusion, spasticity, and motor function in subjects with poststroke hemiparesis. [Subjects and Methods] Seven patients, 2 women and 5 men (mean ± SD age: 60.5 ±6.3 years), with hemiparesis (>6 months poststroke), received passive mobilization of...

BACKGROUND Extracorporeal shock wave therapy has been reported to be effective in reducing muscle hypertonia in adults. AIM To evaluate the effect of shock wave treatment of spastic muscles in children with cerebral palsy. METHODS Twelve children with spastic equinus foot (6 boys,6 girls; mean age 8 years (standard deviation (SD) 2.31)) were monitored. Clinical (Ashworth Scale, passive rang...