Spasticity clinical measurements in neurological disorders; A Literature Review

Background and Objective: Spasticity is one of the most signs of upper motor neuron diseases that can affect all age groups. Spasticity is seen in common neurological disorders such as cerebral palsy and stroke. This problem usually restricts many functions of the patients and gradually decreases the quality of life. Therefore it is very important to study the measurements for this complication and to use them in the treatment or rehabilitation process. Search Method: This literature review using PICO method and systematic literature search in Medline, EMBASE, Science Direct databases included 38 studies introducing 13 spasticity measurement scales. Afterwards these measures were appraised and classified in order to specify the spasticity parameters used in the measurements such as range of motion, speed. Findings: The scales recruited, measure spasticity parameters differently; time and speed, resistance and/or the range of motion. Some of the measurements had a qualitative section such as a questionnaire and some just provide scores. Conclusion: Various scales and clinical measurements are available to evaluate spasticity, it is crucial to critique the psychometric properties and other characteristics of these scales to select the most beneficial one for the therapeutic or evaluative purpose.

کلیدواژه ها:

Cerebral palsy ، Stroke ، Spasticity ، Measurements ، Rehabilitation