The aim of the study is to verify validity and reliability of the Muscle excitability scale (MES), which has been developed to access muscle susceptibility to spasms and/or clones as part of spastic motor behavior in spinal cord injured patients.
The muscle excitability scale (MES) is intended for patients after spinal cord injury. The objective is to evaluate a motor response (muscle spasms or clones) to a sensory or motor stimulus. A sensory stimulus is created by thumb and pointfinger compression of cutaneous tissue on the inside part of the middle thigh and calf. A motor stimulus is created by passive movement of the lower limb to flexion and extension. The MES grades from 0 to 4 reflect the muscle spastic or clonic tendency and the extent of this motor response (from isolated to generalized). Two investigators will examine a spastic motor behavior in 50 chronic SCI subjects using MES, Modificated Ashworth Scale (MAS) and Penn Spasms Frequency Scale (PSFS) to verify the validity and reliability of the MES.
Study Type
OBSERVATIONAL
Enrollment
50
With the patient in a supine position, squeeze the skinfold between your thumb and pointfinger on the inner aspect of the middle third of the thigh and on the inner aspect of the middle third of the calf. Place your hand under the proximal calf and the heel and move the leg into maximum flexion at the hip and knee joints. After the response, if any, is completed, move the limb back into full extension. Each of these movements lasts for one second.
Department of Rehabilitation and Sports Medicine, University Hospital Motol
Prague, Czechia
Paraple Center - rehab center for SCI people
Prague, Czechia
Muscle Excitability Scale
Scoring from 0 to 4; 0 = no motor response (muscle spasm or clonus) to a tactile stimulus or passive movement; 4 = generalized motor response to both a tactile stimulus and passive movement
Time frame: through study completion, an average of 1 year
Modified Ashworth Scale
Scoring from 0 to 4; 0 = no increase in muscle tone; 4 = affected part(s) rigid in flexion or extension
Time frame: through study completion, an average of 1 year
Penn Spasm Frequency Scale
Scoring 0 to 4; 0 = no spasms; 4 = spasms occurring more than 10 times per hour
Time frame: through study completion, an average of 1 year
Calculation of validity and reliability index of Muscle Excitability Scale
To determine validity, inter-rater and intra-rater reliability of the Muscle Excitability Scale
Time frame: through study completion, an average of 1 year
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