TY - JOUR
T1 - Correlation of resting elbow angle with spasticity in chronic stroke survivors
AU - Bhadane, Minal Y.
AU - Gao, Fan
AU - Francisco, Gerard E.
AU - Zhou, Ping
AU - Li, Sheng
N1 - Publisher Copyright:
© 2015 Bhadane, Gao, Francisco, Zhou and Li.
PY - 2015
Y1 - 2015
N2 - Objective: To evaluate whether resting joint angle is indicative of severity of spasticity of the elbow flexors in chronic stroke survivors. Methods: Seventeen hemiparetic stroke subjects (male: n = 13; female: n = 4; age: 37-89 years; 11 right and 6 left hemiplegia; averaged 54.8 months after stroke, ranging 12-107 months) participated in the study. The number of subjects with modified Ashworth scale score (MAS) = 0, 1, 1+, 2, and 3 was 3, 3, 5, 3, and 3, respectively. In a single experimental session, resting elbow joint angle, MAS, and Tardieu scale score (Tardieu R1) were measured. A customized motorized stretching device was used to stretch elbow flexors at 5, 50, and 100° /s, respectively. Biomechanical responses (peak reflex torque and reflex stiffness) of elbow flexors were quantified. Correlation analyses between clinical and biomechanical assessments were performed. Results: Resting elbow joint angle showed a strong positive correlation with Tardieu R1 (r = 0.77, p < 0.01) and a very strong negative correlation with MAS (r = -0.89, p < 0.01). The resting angle also had strong correlations with biomechanical measures (r = -0.63 to -0.76, p < 0.01). Conclusion: Our study provides experimental evidence for anecdotal observation that the resting elbow joint angle correlates with severity of spasticity in chronic stroke. Resting angle observation for spasticity assessment can and will be an easy, yet a valid way of spasticity estimation in clinical settings, particularly for small muscles or muscles which are not easily measurable by common clinical methods.
AB - Objective: To evaluate whether resting joint angle is indicative of severity of spasticity of the elbow flexors in chronic stroke survivors. Methods: Seventeen hemiparetic stroke subjects (male: n = 13; female: n = 4; age: 37-89 years; 11 right and 6 left hemiplegia; averaged 54.8 months after stroke, ranging 12-107 months) participated in the study. The number of subjects with modified Ashworth scale score (MAS) = 0, 1, 1+, 2, and 3 was 3, 3, 5, 3, and 3, respectively. In a single experimental session, resting elbow joint angle, MAS, and Tardieu scale score (Tardieu R1) were measured. A customized motorized stretching device was used to stretch elbow flexors at 5, 50, and 100° /s, respectively. Biomechanical responses (peak reflex torque and reflex stiffness) of elbow flexors were quantified. Correlation analyses between clinical and biomechanical assessments were performed. Results: Resting elbow joint angle showed a strong positive correlation with Tardieu R1 (r = 0.77, p < 0.01) and a very strong negative correlation with MAS (r = -0.89, p < 0.01). The resting angle also had strong correlations with biomechanical measures (r = -0.63 to -0.76, p < 0.01). Conclusion: Our study provides experimental evidence for anecdotal observation that the resting elbow joint angle correlates with severity of spasticity in chronic stroke. Resting angle observation for spasticity assessment can and will be an easy, yet a valid way of spasticity estimation in clinical settings, particularly for small muscles or muscles which are not easily measurable by common clinical methods.
KW - MAS
KW - Resting angle
KW - Spasticity
KW - Stroke
KW - Tardieu
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U2 - 10.3389/fneur.2015.00183
DO - 10.3389/fneur.2015.00183
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:84940945675
SN - 1664-2295
VL - 6
JO - Frontiers in Neurology
JF - Frontiers in Neurology
IS - Aug
M1 - 183
ER -