Quantitative evaluation for spasticity of calf muscle after botulinum toxin injection in patients with cerebral palsy: a pilot study

If this works in CP to objectively measure spasticity then in 50 years we might start using it for stroke. Current spasticity measurement is a joke that is not funny.
http://jneuroengrehab.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12984-016-0135-8

• Yu-Ching Lin,
• I-Ling Lin,
• Te-Feng Arthur Chou and
• Hsin-Min LeeEmail author

Journal of NeuroEngineering and Rehabilitation201613:25

DOI: 10.1186/s12984-016-0135-8

©  Lin et al. 2016

Received: 18 July 2015

Accepted: 7 March 2016

Published: 12 March 2016

Abstract

Background

Cerebral palsy (CP) is the most common pediatric disease to cause motor disability. Two common symptoms in CP are spasticity and contracture. If this occurred in the ankle plantar flexors of children with CP, it will impair their gait and active daily living profoundly. Most children with CP receive botulinum toxin type A (BoNT-A) injection to reduce muscle tone, but a knowledge gap exists in the understanding of changes of neural and non-neural components of spasticity after injection. The purpose of this study was to determine if our device for quantitative modified Tardieu approach (QMTA) is a valid method to assess spasticity of calf muscles after botulinum toxin injection.

Methods

In this study, we intended to develop a device for quantitative measurement of spasticity in calf muscles based on the modified Tardieu scale (MTS) and techniques of biomedical engineering. Our QMTA measures the angular displacement and resistance of stretched joint with a device that is light, portable and can be operated similar to conventional approaches for MTS. The static (R2), dynamic (R1) and R2-R1 angles derived from the reactive signals collected by the miniature sensors are used to represent the non-neural and neural components of stretched spastic muscles. Four children with CP were recruited to assess the change in spasticity in their gastrocnemius muscles before and 4 weeks after BoNT-A injection.

Results

A simulated ankle model validated the performance of our device in measuring joint displacement and estimating the angle of catch. Data from our participants with CP showed that R2 and R2-R1 improved significantly after BoNT-A administration. It indicates both neural and non-neural components of the spastic gastrocnemius muscles improved at four weeks after BoNT-A injection in children with CP.

Conclusion

Our device for QMTA can objectively measure the changes in spasticity of the gastrocnemius muscle in children with cerebral palsy after BoNT-A injection.