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Botulinum toxin a improves muscle spasms and rigidity in stiff‐person syndrome
Author(s) -
Liguori Rocco,
Cordivari Carla,
Lugaresi Elio,
Montagna Pasquale
Publication year - 1997
Publication title -
movement disorders
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 3.352
H-Index - 198
eISSN - 1531-8257
pISSN - 0885-3185
DOI - 10.1002/mds.870120636
Subject(s) - muscle rigidity , botulinum toxin , muscle spasm , medicine , stiff person syndrome , anesthesia , rigidity (electromagnetism) , surgery , chemistry , biochemistry , structural engineering , engineering , glutamate decarboxylase , enzyme
Abstract We studied the effect of botulinum toxin A (BTA) on painful muscular spasms and rigidity in two bedridden patients with clinical, electrophysiologic, and immunologic evidence of stiff‐person syndrome. We injected BTA of saline solution into several limb muscles with both the rater and patient blinded to the order of the injections. A physician, unaware of the treatment order, used an objective rating scale for rigidity and spasm frequency scale and independently assessed the treatment results. BTA administration significantly reduced rigidity and stopped the spasms in all limbs. Following BTA injection on one side, the spasm frequency decreased bilaterally possibly because of the spread of hematogenous toxin.