Search Our Scientific Publications & Authors

J Gastrointest Surg 2019 Feb 19. Epub 2019 Feb 19.

Department of Clinical Pharmacy, Nephrology and Kidney Transplant Research Center, Faculty of Pharmacy, Urmia University of Medical Sciences, Urmia, Iran.

Background: Baclofen is an agonist for a subtype of gamma-amino butyric acid (GABA-B) receptors and traditionally been used for the systemic treatment of spasticity. Topical application of baclofen has been shown to reduce pain in patients with localized neuropathic pain.

Objectives: In this study, we investigate the efficacy of baclofen cream (5%) in reducing postoperative pain and analgesic requirement after open hemorrhoidectomy. Read More

Neurol Ther 2019 Feb 18. Epub 2019 Feb 18.

, Kiev, Ukraine.

Introduction: Recent studies show that spasticity occurs in 20-30% of all stroke victims, especially in younger patients. Botulinum toxin is a very effective treatment; however, it is not reimbursed in the Ukraine, thus leaving patients untreated and unable to use the paralyzed limb. Finally, this might result in long-term disability with economic consequences and negative impact on the psychological state of patients. Read More

Neurogenetics 2019 Feb 19. Epub 2019 Feb 19.

Department of Genetics, Institute of Psychiatry and Neurology, Sobieskiego 9 Street, 02-957, Warsaw, Poland.

Hereditary spastic paraplegias (HSPs) are clinically and genetically heterogeneous neurodegenerative disorders. Numerous genes linked to HSPs, overlapping phenotypes between HSP subtypes and other neurodegenerative disorders and the HSPs' dual mode of inheritance (both dominant and recessive) make the genetic diagnosis of HSPs complex and difficult. Out of the original HSP cohort comprising 306 index cases (familial and isolated) who had been tested according to "traditional workflow/guidelines" by Multiplex Ligation-dependent Probe Amplification (MLPA) and Sanger sequencing, 30 unrelated patients (all familial cases) with unsolved genetic diagnoses were tested using next-generation sequencing (NGS). Read More

Zh Nevrol Psikhiatr Im S S Korsakova 2019 ;119(1):38-43

Pirogov Russian National Research Medical University, Moscow, Russia.

Aim: To estimate the efficacy of intrathecal treatment with baclofen (ITB) in spasticity and dystonia.

Material And Methods: Two groups of patients have been operated: 19 patients with spinal spasticity and 33 patients with cerebral spasticity (cerebral palsy). After baclofen screening test, the Synchromed2 (Medtronic) was implanted. Read More

Orphanet J Rare Dis 2019 Feb 18;14(1):46. Epub 2019 Feb 18.

Program for the Study of Neurodevelopment in Rare Disorders and Center for Rare Disease Therapy, UPMC Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh, University of Pittsburgh, 4401 Penn Avenue, Pittsburgh, PA, 15144, USA.

Background: Krabbe disease is a rare neurological disorder caused by a deficiency in the lysosomal enzyme, β-galactocerebrosidase, resulting in demyelination of the central and peripheral nervous systems. If left without treatment, Krabbe disease results in progressive neurodegeneration with reduced quality of life and early death. The purpose of this prospective study was to describe the natural progression of early onset Krabbe disease in a large cohort of patients. Read More

Clin Neurophysiol 2019 Feb 6;130(4):521-527. Epub 2019 Feb 6.

Department of Neuroscience, Rehabilitation, Ophthalmology, Genetics, Maternal and Child Health, University of Genova, Italy; Department of Neuroscience, IRCCS Ospedale Policlinico San Martino, Genova, Italy. Electronic address:

Objective: Spastic dystonia is one of the positive phenomena of the upper motor neuron syndrome (UMNS). It is characterised by the inability to relax a muscle leading to a spontaneous, although stretch-sensitive, tonic contraction. Although spastic dystonia is a recognized cause of muscle hypertonia, its prevalence among hypertonic muscles of stroke subjects has never been investigated. Read More

Dev Med Child Neurol 2019 Feb 18. Epub 2019 Feb 18.

Royal Hobart Hospital, Hobart, TAS, Australia.

Aim: To examine the relationships between upper limb impairments and independence in self-care (ISC) in children with unilateral cerebral palsy (CP).

Method: One hundred and eight children with unilateral CP (46 females, 62 males; mean age 8y 7mo, SD 3y 9mo) recruited from a population register were assessed for upper limb muscle power, spasticity, sensation, motor control, and process skills, and for ISC as the functional outcome using structural equation modelling.

Results: The model showed good fit indices and explained 90% of the variance in ISC. Read More

Clin Pract Cases Emerg Med 2019 Feb 4;3(1):16-23. Epub 2019 Jan 4.

Arrowhead Regional Medical Center, Department of Emergency Medicine, Colton, California.

Neuroleptic malignant syndrome (NMS) is a rare but potentially fatal complication resulting from neuroleptic drug therapy. Presentation of NMS can vary, and diagnosis relies primarily upon medical history and symptomatology. Due to the potential delay in diagnosis, emergency physicians should remain vigilant in recognizing the symptoms of NMS and be prepared to initiate immediate treatment following diagnosis. Read More

Top Spinal Cord Inj Rehabil 2019 12;25(1):83-96. Epub 2018 Dec 12.

Spasticity Research Program, West Park Healthcare Centre, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.

Passive leg cycling is an important clinical tool available for rehabilitation after spinal cord injury (SCI). Passive cycling can be used to derive exercise-related benefits in patients with poor motor control. There have been a number of studies examining the effects of passive cycling on a variety of outcomes. Read More

J Rehabil Med 2019 Feb 15. Epub 2019 Feb 15.

ToNIC, Toulouse NeuroImaging Center, Université de Toulouse, Inserm, UPS, France.

Objective: To elucidate the adverse consequences of spasticity and spastic co-contraction of elbow flexors on motor impairment and upper limb functional limitation.

Design: A pilot case-controlled prospective observational study.

Subjects: Ten brain-injured adults, and 10 healthy controls. Read More

J Pediatr Orthop B 2019 Feb 12. Epub 2019 Feb 12.

Department of Women's and Children's Health, Karolinska Institutet.

To evaluate whether short-term positive effects on bimanual function after surgery of the paretic arm in cerebral palsy are maintained long term. Assisting Hand Assessment (AHA) and active range of motion was tested before surgery and at 7 month and 9-year follow-up (n=18). AHA improved significantly from 50 to 52 U at 7 months, but was not different from before surgery at the 9-year follow-up, 49 U. Read More

Front Neurol 2019 31;10:41. Epub 2019 Jan 31.

Department of Neurosciences, Biomedicine and Movement Sciences, University of Verona, Verona, Italy.

The combined use of Robot-assisted UL training and Botulinum toxin (BoNT) appear to be a promising therapeutic synergism to improve UL function in chronic stroke patients. To evaluate the effects of Robot-assisted UL training on UL spasticity, function, muscle strength and the electromyographic UL muscles activity in chronic stroke patients treated with Botulinum toxin. This single-blind, randomized, controlled trial involved 32 chronic stroke outpatients with UL spastic hemiparesis. Read More

Dev Med Child Neurol 2019 Feb 14. Epub 2019 Feb 14.

Gillette Children's Specialty Healthcare - Physical Medicine, Saint Paul, MN, USA.

J Spinal Cord Med 2019 Feb 13:1-11. Epub 2019 Feb 13.

e Division of Physiatry, Division of Medicine , University of Toronto , Toronto , Canada.

Context: Patient-reported outcome measures (PROMs) are valuable for capturing the impact of spasticity on health-related quality of life (HRQoL) in persons with spinal cord damage (SCD) and evaluating the efficacy of interventions.

Objective: To provide practical guidance for measuring HRQoL in persons with spasticity following SCD.

Methods: Literature reviews identified measures of HRQoL and caregiver burden, utilized in studies addressing spasticity in SCD. Read More

J Neurogenet 2019 Feb 12:1-6. Epub 2019 Feb 12.

b Hotchkiss Brain Institute, University of Calgary , Calgary , Canada.

Hereditary spastic paraplegias (HSPs) are a diverse group of genetic conditions with variable severity and onset age. From a neurogenetic clinic, we identified 14 patients with very late-onset HSP, with symptoms starting after the age of 35. In this cohort, sequencing of known genetic causes was performed using clinically available HSP sequencing panels. Read More

Physiotherapy 2019 Jan 11. Epub 2019 Jan 11.

School of Health Sciences, University of East Anglia, Norwich Research Park, Norwich, NR4 7TJ, UK. Electronic address:

Objective: To determine the predictive markers for the occurrence of upper limb spasticity in the first 12 months after stroke.

Data Sources: A systematic review was undertaken of the databases MEDLINE, EMBASE, CINAHL and PEDRO to 31st December 2017.

Study Selection: Non-experimental or experimental studies that included a control group with spasticity who did not receive an experimental intervention which investigated at least one variable (explanatory variable) measured at baseline against the development (or not) of spasticity at a future time point within 12 months post stroke were selected independently by two reviewers. Read More

Neurorehabil Neural Repair 2019 Feb;33(2):141-152

1 Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Beer-Sheva, Israel.

Background: Spasticity is common in patients with stroke, yet current quantification methods are insufficient for determining the relationship between spasticity and voluntary movement deficits. This is partly a result of the effects of spasticity on spatiotemporal characteristics of movement and the variability of voluntary movement. These can be captured by Gaussian mixture models (GMMs). Read More

Dev Med Child Neurol 2019 Feb 10. Epub 2019 Feb 10.

The Orthopaedic Research Unit, Department of Orthopaedic Surgery and Traumatology, Odense University Hospital, Odense, Denmark.

Aim: To test the hypothesis that improvements in gait and function following individualized interdisciplinary interventions consisting of physical therapy, orthotics, spasticity management, and orthopaedic surgery using instrumented gait analysis are superior to 'usual care' in children with cerebral palsy (CP).

Method: This was a prospective, single-blind, parallel-group, randomized controlled trial investigating the effectiveness of interventions based on the use of gait analysis. Primary outcome was gait (Gait Deviation Index) and secondary outcomes were walking and patient-reported outcome measures of function, disability, and health-related quality of life. Read More

Ann Transl Med 2018 Dec;6(24):475

Children's Hospital of Philadelphia and Department of Pediatrics, University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA.

Primary mitochondrial disorders are a group of clinically variable and heterogeneous inborn errors of metabolism (IEMs), resulting from defects in cellular energy, and can affect every organ system of the body. Clinical presentations vary and may include symptoms of fatigue, skeletal muscle weakness, exercise intolerance, short stature, failure to thrive, blindness, ptosis and ophthalmoplegia, nystagmus, hearing loss, hypoglycemia, diabetes mellitus, learning difficulties, intellectual disability, seizures, stroke-like episodes, spasticity, dystonia, hypotonia, pain, neuropsychiatric symptoms, gastrointestinal reflux, dysmotility, gastrointestinal pseudo-obstruction, cardiomyopathy, cardiac conduction defects, and other endocrine, renal, cardiac, and liver problems. Most phenotypic manifestations are multi-systemic, with presentations varying at different age of onset and may show great variability within members of the same family; making these truly complex IEMs. Read More

Med J Aust 2019 Feb 10;210(3):129-135. Epub 2019 Feb 10.

Royal Children's Hospital Melbourne, Melbourne, VIC.

Cerebral palsy is a developmental disorder of movement and posture which is often associated with comorbidities. While there is currently a limited range of evidence-based treatments that change the underlying pathology of cerebral palsy, there are many areas in which health care professionals can change the natural history of cerebral palsy and improve participation and quality of life for children with this condition. Early identification has become of paramount importance in the management of cerebral palsy, and it is hoped that it will allow earlier access to cerebral palsy interventions that may improve the natural history of the condition. Read More

BMC Musculoskelet Disord 2019 Feb 8;20(1):62. Epub 2019 Feb 8.

Lund University, Skåne University Hospital, Department of Clinical Sciences Lund, Orthopedics, Lund, Sweden.

Background: Hip pain is prevalent in children with cerebral palsy (CP). Hip displacement is a known risk factor for hip pain. However, many children do not have displaced hips but still have hip pain and the aetiologies are poorly understood. Read More

Am J Med Genet A 2019 Feb 7. Epub 2019 Feb 7.

Manchester Centre for Genomic Medicine, Manchester, United Kingdom.

DDX3X (Xp11.4) encodes a DEAD-box RNA helicase that escapes X chromosome inactivation. Pathogenic variants in DDX3X have been shown to cause X-linked intellectual disability (ID) (MRX102, MIM: 300958). Read More

Am J Med Genet A 2019 Feb 7. Epub 2019 Feb 7.

Department of Medical Genetics, Istanbul University, Cerrahpasa Medical School, Istanbul, Turkey.

Purpose: Martsolf (MS) and Warburg micro syndromes (WARBM) are rare autosomal recessive inherited allelic disorders, which share similar clinical features including microcephaly, intellectual disability, brain malformations, ocular abnormalities, and spasticity. Here, we revealed the functions of novel mutations in RAB3GAP1 in a Turkish female patient with MS and two siblings with WARBM. We also present a review of MS patients as well as all reported RAB3GAP1 pathogenic mutations in the literature. Read More

Disabil Rehabil Assist Technol 2019 Feb 7:1-6. Epub 2019 Feb 7.

a Department of Community Health Science, Graduate School of Health Science , Kobe University , Kobe , Japan.

Purpose: Children with cerebral palsy may face difficulties using handheld pointing devices, due to involuntary muscle movements. This study aimed at describing the idea of the new wearable sensor switch and assessing its feasibility as an access solution in a case of mixed-type cerebral palsy.

Methods: The study participant was a 17-year-old male with mixed-type cerebral palsy characterized by chorea-athetotic movements and bilateral spasticity with gross motor function classification system level V. Read More

Neurotherapeutics 2019 Feb 6. Epub 2019 Feb 6.

International Collaboration on Repair Discoveries (ICORD), University of British Columbia, 818 West 10th Avenue, Vancouver, British Columbia, V5Z 1M9, Canada.

The objective of our study was to determine whether treatment with baclofen is neurologically safe with respect to exposure during recovery from spinal cord injury. We performed a secondary longitudinal analysis of a cohort of adult patients with traumatic acute spinal cord injury. Cumulative baclofen dose was computed over the first 4 weeks following injury from concomitant medication information from a completed clinical trial. Read More

Front Neurol 2019 22;10. Epub 2019 Jan 22.

Molecular Medicine, IRCCS Fondazione Stella Maris, Pisa, Italy.

The term hereditary spastic paraplegia (HSP) embraces a clinically and genetically heterogeneous group of neurodegenerative diseases characterized by progressive spasticity and weakness of the lower limbs. There currently exist no specific therapies for HSP, and treatment is exclusively symptomatic, aimed at reducing muscle spasticity, and improving strength and gait. The authors set out to perform a comprehensive systematic review of the available scientific literature on the treatment of HSP, applying Cochrane Collaboration methods. Read More

Mol Neurobiol 2019 Feb 5. Epub 2019 Feb 5.

Institute of Brain Science, National Yang-Ming University, Taipei, Taiwan.

Mutations in RAB18, a member of small G protein, cause Warburg micro syndrome (WARBM), whose clinical features include vision impairment, postnatal microcephaly, and lower limb spasticity. Previously, our Rab18 mice exhibited hind limb weakness and spasticity as well as signs of axonal degeneration in the spinal cord and lumbar spinal nerves. However, the cellular and molecular function of RAB18 and its roles in the pathogenesis of WARBM are still not fully understood. Read More

Pain Ther 2019 Feb 5. Epub 2019 Feb 5.

Valley Anesthesiology and Pain Consultants, Phoenix, AZ, USA.

Cannabis users have long reported therapeutic properties of the plant for a variety of conditions, some of which include nausea, emesis, seizures, cancer, neurogenic diseases and pain control. Research has elucidated many cannabinoid pharmacodynamic and pharmacokinetic properties, expanding the potential use of cannabinoids as a medical therapy. Due to the inconsistent delivery and control of the active components involved with smoking, pharmaceutical companies are investigating and prioritizing routes other than smoke inhalation for therapeutic use of cannabinoids. Read More

Spinal Cord 2019 Feb 4. Epub 2019 Feb 4.

Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, National Rehabilitation Center & Hospital, Seoul, Korea.

In the original version of the article the authors incorrectly stated that: "One case study provided evidence of some improvements in motor performance and spasticity [19], while several other studies only provided evidence on the feasibility of UER as an assessment tool; however, the fact that the manufacturer funded these studies lessens their objectivity [15, 20-24]." This is not correct as the manufacturers did not fund the studies. The correct phrase therefore should have read: "One case study provided evidence of some improvements in motor performance and spasticity [19], while several other studies provided evidence focusing more on the feasibility of UER rather than the clinical efficacy [15, 20-24]. Read More

NeuroRehabilitation 2019 Jan 30. Epub 2019 Jan 30.

Brain Injury Unit of Fundación Institut Guttmann, Institut Universitari de Neurorehabilitació adscrit a la UAB, Badalona, Barcelona, Spain.

NeuroRehabilitation 2019 Jan 29. Epub 2019 Jan 29.

School of Physical Therapy, Texas Woman's University, Houston, TX, USA.

Background: Persons diagnosed with Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) often demonstrate neurological deficits that predispose them to repeated falls and associated adverse consequences. Determining contributing factors to falls in this population is critical to improve safety and patient outcomes.

Objective: The purpose of this study was to correlate clinical measures of gait speed, balance, strength, spasticity, and a self-reported rating scale of function with fall incidence in individuals with ALS. Read More

Ann Phys Rehabil Med 2019 Jan 29. Epub 2019 Jan 29.

Department of pediatric physical and medical rehabilitation, fondation ILDYS, Brest, Bretagne, France; Laboratory of medical information processing, Inserm U1101, Brest, Bretagne, France.

Objective: Botulinum toxin injection (BTI) is the primary treatment for spasticity in children. Anxiety and pain are important concerns to address to attenuate the discomfort of BTI. The aim of this study was to compare the effectiveness of medical clowns and usual distractions, both added to nitrous oxide (NO) and analgesic cream, on pain and anxiety during BTI sessions in children. Read More

Arch Dis Child 2019 Jan 31. Epub 2019 Jan 31.

Department of Pediatrics, Prince Sultan Military Medical City, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.

Sex Dev 2019 Feb 1. Epub 2019 Feb 1.

Cerebral palsy is a rare condition following injury of the developing brain and including nonprogressive neurological disorders, spasticity, intellectual impairment and others. Boys with cerebral palsy have a high incidence of undescended testis. Although the motives for treatment (infertility, cancer prevention, psychological aspects, testicular torsion) are not different in boys without neurological impairment, the decision-making process in boys with cerebral palsy is very difficult. Read More

Spinal Cord 2019 Jan 29. Epub 2019 Jan 29.

Department of Physical Therapy, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, Coral Gables, FL, USA.

Study Design: This work is a systematic review with meta-analysis OBJECTIVE: Evaluate the effect of electrical stimulation (ES) on skeletal muscle volume and spasticity in individuals with spinal cord injury (SCI).

Setting: University of Brasilia, Brazil METHODS: Searches were conducted of the Cochrane Library, MEDLINE, CINAHL, PEDro, PsycINFO and EMBASE electronic databases for relevant articles published up to June 2018. No restrictions were imposed regarding the year of publication. Read More

Noro Psikiyatr Ars 2018 ;55(Suppl 1):S49-S53

Department of Neurology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Health Sciences; Haseki Research and Education Hospital Neurology Clinic, İstanbul, Turkey.

Spasticity is a serious problem that adversely affects the daily life of patients, and creates difficulties for caregivers. The symptom that causes the most disability in multiple sclerosis patients is spasticity. The methods used in the measurement and evaluation of spasticity have some incomplete aspects and errors. Read More

Noro Psikiyatr Ars 2018 ;55(Suppl 1):S21-S25

Department of Neurology, İzmir Katip Çelebi University, İzmir, Turkey.

Multiple sclerosis is a progressive disease despite so many recent therapy agents. Many symptoms can be seen that can affect the quality of daily life, such as spasticity, urinary incontinence, sensory disturbances, and tremor. These complaints may be refractory to the medical treatments, and the invasive treatment methods may be the only option to improve the quality of life of the patient. Read More

J Physiol 2019 Jan 28. Epub 2019 Jan 28.

Graduate Center, City University of New York, New York, NY, USA.

Key Points: Spasticity is a disorder of muscle tone that is associated with lesions of the motor system. This condition involves an overactive spinal reflex loop that resists the passive lengthening of muscles. Previously, we established that application of anodal trans-spinal direct current stimulation (a-tsDCS) for short periods of time to anaesthetized mice sustaining a spinal cord injury leads to an instantaneous reduction of spasticity. Read More

J Clin Neurophysiol 2019 Jan 24. Epub 2019 Jan 24.

Department of Neurology, Royal Perth Hospital, Perth, Australia.

Purpose: Baclofen has been reported to cause both a metabolic encephalopathy and nonconvulsive status epilepticus. Baclofen is typically used in the management of muscle spasticity but is being increasingly used to manage alcohol withdrawal and opiate dependency. Given the increasing use of baclofen we describe the clinical and electrographical features of baclofen neurotoxicity seen at our institution. Read More

JMIR Res Protoc 2019 Jan 28;8(1):e11637. Epub 2019 Jan 28.

Department of Anesthesiology & Perioperative Medicine, Queen's University, Kingston, ON, Canada.

Background: Chronic pain affects a significant proportion of the population and presents a major challenge to clinicians and pain specialists. Despite the availability of pharmacologic treatment options such as opioids, many patients continue to experience persistent pain. Cannabinoids present an alternative option with some data on efficacy; however, to date, a systematic review of adverse events (AEs) assessment and reporting in randomized clinical trials (RCTs) involving cannabinoids has not been performed. Read More

Disabil Rehabil 2019 Jan 27:1-8. Epub 2019 Jan 27.

c Department of Clinical Neuroscience, Institute of Neuroscience and Physiology, Sahlgrenska Academy , University of Gothenburg , Gothenburg , Sweden.

Purpose: To evaluate the impact of multiple potential sociodemographic and clinical stroke-related determinants on self-perceived manual ability in an unselected sample of individuals 12 months after first-ever stroke.

Methods: A cross-sectional sample of 68 participants (mean age 66) with UE impairments were followed up at 12 months post stroke. Stroke severity at onset was moderate for the majority. Read More

Arch Phys Med Rehabil 2019 Jan 23. Epub 2019 Jan 23.

Department of Physiotherapy, Epworth HealthCare, Melbourne; Department of Physiotherapy, University of Melbourne, Melbourne.

Objective: To investigate whether a three-dimensional camera (Microsoft Kinect) and a Smartphone can be used to accurately quantify the joint angular velocity and range of motion (ROM) compared to a criterion standard three-dimensional motion analysis system during a lower limb spasticity assessment.

Design: Observational, criterion standard comparison study.

Setting: Large rehabilitation centre. Read More

Medicine (Baltimore) 2019 Jan;98(4):e14187

Chung-Yeon Central Institute, Gwangju.

Background: In children, cerebral palsy (CP) is one of the most common causes of irreversible neurological sequelae. Acupotomy, a modernized acupuncture form combining the effects of microsurgery and conventional acupuncture, may show specific benefits in the treatment of CP, especially with respect to spasticity. The aim of this review was to evaluate the efficacy of acupotomy for CP. Read More

Dev Med Child Neurol 2019 Jan 25. Epub 2019 Jan 25.

Centre for Youth Substance Abuse Research, The University of Queensland, Royal Brisbane and Women's Hospital, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia.

This review summarizes studies that examined the effectiveness of cannabinoids in treating spasticity, with a focus on understanding the relevance of the existing evidence to paediatric populations. MEDLINE, Embase, PsycINFO, and the Cochrane Library were searched to identify studies that examined the use of cannabinoids in spasticity. We identified 32 studies in adult and paediatric populations. Read More

Internist (Berl) 2019 Jan 24. Epub 2019 Jan 24.

Zentrum für Seltene Erkrankungen (ZSEB), Universitätsklinikum Bonn, 53127, Bonn, Deutschland.

Background: Cannabis products are being increasingly liberalized all over the world and there is a huge interest in cannabis-based medicine.

Objectives: Presentation of current studies on the efficacy of different cannabis-based medicine for the treatment of various diseases CURRENT DATA: In German pharmaceutical legislation, nabiximols is approved for the treatment of moderate to severe therapy-resistant spasticity in multiple sclerosis and nabilone is approved for the treatment of therapy-resistant chemotherapy-associated nausea and vomiting. In case of therapy failure cannabinoids, as part of an individual therapeutic attempt, may be considered for the treatment of chronic pain (neuropathic pain, cancer pain, non-neuropathic noncancer pain), cachexia in human immunodeficiency virus as well as for Dravet and Lennox-Gastaut syndrome. Read More

Cancers (Basel) 2019 Jan 22;11(2). Epub 2019 Jan 22.

Laboratory of Palliative Medicine, Department of Social Medicine and Public Health, Medical University of Warsaw, ul. Oczki 3, Warszawa 02-007, Poland.

There is an increased interest in the use of cannabinoids in the treatment of symptoms in cancer and palliative care patients. Their multimodal action, in spite of limited efficacy, may make them an attractive alternative, particularly in patients with multiple concomitant symptoms of mild and moderate intensity. There is evidence to indicate cannabis in the treatment of pain, spasticity, seizures, sleep disorders, nausea and vomiting, and Tourette syndrome. Read More

PLoS One 2019 24;14(1):e0210038. Epub 2019 Jan 24.

Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, St. Vincent's Hospital, College of Medicine, The Catholic University of Korea, Seoul, Republic of Korea.

Spasticity is an important barrier that can hinder the restoration of function in stroke patients. Although several studies have attempted to elucidate the relationship between brain lesions and spasticity, the effects of specific brain lesions on the development of spasticity remain unclear. Thus, the present study investigated the effects of stroke lesions on spasticity in stroke patients. Read More

Am J Phys Med Rehabil 2019 Jan 21. Epub 2019 Jan 21.

Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, McGovern Medical School, University of Texas Health Science Center - Houston, Houston TX.

Objective: The contribution of the contralesional motor cortex to the impaired limbs is still controversial. The purpose of this study was to investigate the role of descending projections from the contralesional hemisphere during voluntary elbow flexion on the paretic side.

Design: Eleven healthy and 10 stroke subjects performed unilateral isometric elbow flexion tasks at various submaximal levels. Read More