Spasticity therapy 'could assist brain injury patients'RSS Feed

Stroke patients are being enrolled onto a clinical trial of a novel treatment that could potentially also help those affected by brain injury, it is reported.

Medtronic Inc is the company behind Intrathecal Baclofen (ITB) therapy, which aims to treat spasticity that has otherwise proved unresponsive to treatment, reports BrainandSpinalCord.org.

"ITB therapy has the potential to restore quality of life in patients whose lives have been completely disrupted by a stroke and the impairing and debilitating symptoms of spasticity," said Professor Leopold Saltuari, lead investigator in the study.

The website reports that multiple sclerosis and spinal cord injury patients who took part in earlier studies apparently showed a 92 per cent decrease in spasticity symptoms after receiving ITB therapy.

However, side effects were reported to include loose muscles, drowsiness, nausea, headaches and dizziness.

Meanwhile, an expert has suggested it is "essential" that people who suffer traumatic brain injuries are given appropriate treatment as quickly as possible.

Writing for the CNN website's Paging Dr Gupta blog, Caitlin Hagan stated that most neurologists believe there is a 60 to 90-minute window following an injury when treatment must begin.

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