Observational Longitudinal Study on the Outbreak and Management of Stroke Related Spasticity

Overview

Stroke is one of the leading cause of death and disability worldwide. Post-stroke spasticity (PSS) is outbreak after a stroke and is featured by disabling muscle stiffness. PSS could manifest in up tp 50% cases within 6 months after a stroke, especially in the upper limb. Despite it is an acknowledged condition it is insufficiently recognized and treated in clinical practice. Focal and regional spasticity could improve with rehabilitation and in selected cases with botulinum neurotoxin (BoNT) type A injections. The latter causes muscle relaxation and fosters neuroplasticity, which is able in turn of ameliorating several patient functional aspects. Recent literature demonstrated that PSS patients treated with early BoNT (within 3 month since PSS outbreak) could improve in their clinical status better than patients with a later treatment. An earlier recognition of PSS predictors could improve patient management. Hence, the investigators are going to perform a multicentric prospective observational real life study with BoNT, based on the best clinical practice and aimed at the early recognition and management of PSS through the identification of 1) early clinical predictors of spasticity (collected within 10 days since stroke), 2) BoNT clinical outcome relative to the timing of the treatment

Conditions

Interventions