BACKGROUND Measurement of spasticity is a difficult and unresolved problem, partly due to its complexity and the fact that there are many factors involved. In the assessment of spasticity in the pediatric disabled population, methods that are easily used in practice are ordinal scales that still lack reliability. A prospective cross-sectional observational study was planned to determine the rel...

OBJECTIVE To evaluate the ultrasonographic measurement of shoulder subluxation in patients with post-stroke hemiplegia. DESIGN Prospective, single blind study. PATIENTS A total of 41 patients with post-stroke hemiplegia were included (24 men and 17 women, mean age 56 years (standard deviation 11), age range 34-78 years). METHODS Clinical evaluation of the affected shoulder was assessed us...

PURPOSE To study the efficacy of traditional Thai massage (TTM) versus conventional physical therapy (PT) programs in treating muscle spasticity, functional ability, anxiety, depression, and quality of life (QoL) in Thai stroke patients. METHODS This randomized controlled trial with a blinded assessor was carried out at the Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, Siriraj Hospital (Bangkok, Tha...

In this retrospective study we evaluated the efficacy and functional benefits of chronic intrathecal baclofen infusion in severe spinal spasticity. Twenty patients with a diagnosis of severe intractable spinal spasticity were evaluated prior to implantation of a programmable pump for chronic intrathecal baclofen therapy and at follow up, which ranged from 12 to 36 months (mean 22.4 months). The...

OBJECTIVE The aim of this study was to analyze the intraobserver reliability of the Modified Ashworth Scale (MAS) and Modified Tardieu Scale (MTS) in the assessment of spasticity in children with cerebral palsy (CP). METHODS Elbow flexor muscles, wrist flexor muscles, hip adductors, hamstrings, gastrocnemius and soleus muscles of 37 children (mean age: 8.97±4.41) with spastic CP were evaluate...

OBJECTIVE To compare the efficacy and safety of incobotulinumtoxinA with conventional antispastic therapy for poststroke arm spasticity in routine clinical practice over a 1-year period. DESIGN Prospective, non-interventional, open-label, parallel-group study. SETTING 47 centres in Germany. PARTICIPANTS Patients with poststroke arm spasticity; 108 receiving incobotulinumtoxinA, 110 conven...

Panorama(BBC1 March 23) did nothing to dispel the myths and fears that surround Ashworth, Broadmoor and Rampton special hospitals. Neither Ashworth nor Broadmoor had an opportunity to put their case on the programme, maybe because they disagreed with what the programme was trying to establish.

Spasticity is one of the common complications in upper motor neuron lesions and without appropriate treatment it causes disturbances in movement pattern. Assessments of patients are effective in patient's management. Modified Ashworth scale (MAS) is one of the criteria in qualitative assessment of spasticity, and there are lots of controversies about its validity. The purpose of this study is t...