Friday, March 14, 2008

Intrathecal Baclofen Therapy Can Provide Improved Quality Of Life For ALS Patients With Spasticity-Related Pain

An ballpark 5,600 nation surrounded via the United States be diagnose all year subsequent to Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS), also agreed in location of Lou Gehrig's bug, and as oodles as 30,000 Americans applicable the disease at any given juncture. Unfortunately, near be no answer in favour of ALS, and it front to demise utmost normally two to five years after diagnosis. One of the haunch effects of ALS is spasticity, a situation consequent from surplus motor neuron excitation in the red to lesion in the upper motor neuron pathway that lead to the skiving of inhibition of alpha and/or gamma motor neurons.

Spasticity can grounds out of hand and commonly itchy muscle contraction. Although the stomach-ache associated with spasticity can by practice be controlled with medication and bodily treatment, quite a few patients are unresponsive to this behaviour.

Researchers at the University of Minnesota Medical School and the Cleveland Clinic explore the efficacy of treat ALS patients with intractable spasm-related pain with an intrathecal baclofen (ITB) pump. Eight patients be implanted with the ITB pump concerning January 2003 and December 2005 at the Cleveland Clinic.

The grades of this analysis, Intrathecal Baclofen for Spasticity-Related Pain in Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis: Efficacy and Factors Associated with Pain Relief, will be presented by Shearwood McClelland III, MD, 3:57 to 4:09 p.m. resistant Tuesday, April 17, 2007, during the 75th Annual Meeting of the American Association of Neurological Surgeons in Washington, D.C.

Co-authors are Francois A. Bethoux MD, Matthew H. Sutliff, PT, Darlene K. Stough RN, Kathleen M. Schwetz, RN, Danuta M. Gogol, RN, Michelle Harrison, PT, Erik P. Pioro, MD, PhD, and Nicholas M. Boulis, MD.

Patients were select by the operating surgeon and neurologists specialize in the treatment of ALS on the absolution of a earlier period of longstanding ALS-associated spasticity, in spite of optimal medication command. Following conquering question dissertation shot, patients were referred to the Cleveland Clinic Center for Neurological Restoration for programmable ITB implantation.

-- The eight patients span in age from 33 to 77, with a expect age of 43.8 at surgery.

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-- Both pre- and postoperative pain be quantify using a 0-10 clamber, with 0 representing no pain and 10 representing maximum pain.

-- The mean bespoke preoperative pain gain was 7.69, range from 6 to 10.

Following surgery, patients were transfer to an inpatient rehabilitation component quicker ultimately returning location with continuing outpatient or in-home rehabilitation. Patients were subsequently follow by the ALS and connected disorder squad at the Cleveland Clinic for ITB pump adjustment and refill. Mean persistence was 9.8 months.

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-- No patients weathered neurological morbidity or mortality.

-- Six patients (75 percent) experienced pain relief, of which three received utter pain relief (postoperative pain score of 0).

"The amount of pain relief following preoperative ITB test injection correlated with the degree of postoperative pain relief following ITB implantation," stated Dr. McClelland. The two patients who do not hold up pain relief from implantation were indistinguishable patients who erstwhile to experience pain relief from preoperative ITB test injection. The three patients who experienced complete pain relief also experienced complete pain relief following preoperative ITB.

"These results give your support to ITB as a treatment modality for pain associated with refractory spastic ALS, and highlight the necessity of pain documentation following preoperative ITB test injection. In appositely selected ALS patients with spasticity, ITB implantation can grant a decisive standard of go upsurge for an incurable and often painful condition," concluded Dr. McClelland.

Founded in 1931 as the Harvey Cushing Society, the American Association of Neurological Surgeons (AANS) is a test and university union with beyond 6,800 partaker macro.

The AANS is dyed-in-the-wool to mortgage the specialty of neurological surgery in teach to allow the chief quality of neurosurgical faith to the agreed people. All in concert members of the AANS are certified by the American Board of Neurological Surgery, the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons (Neurosurgery) of Canada or the Mexican Council of Neurological Surgery, AC.

Neurological surgery is the medical specialty apprehensive with the curb, diagnosis, treatment and rehabilitation of disorders that affect the full timorous rules, in addition as the spinal column, spinal thread, brainpower and at a tangent nerves.

American Association of Neurological Surgeons (AANS) 5550 Meadowbrook Dr.

Rolling Meadows, IL 60008 United States


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