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...

The objective was to determine the effects of low-dose, high-concentration, dual localized botulinum toxin A (BTX-A) injections on upper limb movement quality and function. Study design was an evaluator-blinded, randomized, controlled trial. Forty-two children (31 males, 11 females; range 2-8y, mean 4y [SD 1.6]) with hemiplegic cerebral palsy (Gross Motor Function Classification System level I)...

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...

OBJECTIVES To evaluate long term change in impairment, disability, and health related functional status in patients with severe spasticity who received intrathecal baclofen. METHODS A long term (more than five years) observational longitudinal follow up study assessing 21 patients who received intrathecal baclofen given by programmable pump. Patients had chronic disabling spasticity which did...

A prospective trial to demonstrate the efficacy of intrathecal baclofen therapy by implanted pump for adults with spasticity due to spinal cord injury or multiple sclerosis was initiated in our hospital. Of the 140 patients assessed, 7 met the following criteria for inclusion in the study: a modified Ashworth score > 3, a spasm frequency score > 2, and an inadequate response to oral anti-spasti...

QUESTION Does electrical stimulation in addition to passive stretching reduce spasticity and contracture more than passive stretching alone in children with cerebral palsy? DESIGN Randomised within-participant controlled trial with concealed allocation, assessor blinding, and intention-to-treat analysis. PARTICIPANTS Eleven (one dropout) children with cerebral palsy and bilateral knee flexo...

BACKGROUND Spasticity is a common and debilitating symptom of multiple sclerosis (MS). Current treatments are effective, but may be difficult to tolerate for many patients. OBJECTIVE To determine if levetiracetam, a second-generation antiepileptic drug, may be useful for the treatment of spasticity in MS. METHODS A retrospective medical record review of patients attending the Multiple Scler...

The literature offers no descriptions of the adaptive outcomes of people with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) after natural disasters. Aim of this study was to evaluate the adaptive behaviour of participants with ASD followed for 1 year after their exposure to the 2009 earthquake in L'Aquila (Italy) compared with an unexposed peer group with ASD, by administering the Italian form of the Vineland...

Relative survival provides a measure of the proportion of patients dying from the disease under study without requiring the knowledge of the cause of death. We propose an overall strategy based on regression models to estimate the relative survival and model the effects of potential prognostic factors. The baseline hazard was modelled until 10 years follow-up using parametric continuous functio...