Douglas Barr, Fiona Margaret; (2000) Quantification of abnormal muscle tone following spinal cord injury: A clinical perspective. Doctoral thesis (Ph.D), UCL (University College London).

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Abstract

Abnormal muscle tone is a frequent complication following traumatic spinal cord injury with subsequent upper motor neurone paralysis. Treatment of this complex problem presents many difficulties for the clinician and appropriate assessment is a vital pre-requisite when devising a pertinent treatment regimen. The purpose of this study was to examine a variety of measures and to create a comprehensive assessment programme to quantify abnormal muscle tone in this patient group which was compatible with use in the clinical environment. The study examined the reliability of the five measurement techniques: therapist rating, patient rating, electrogoniometry and dynamometry augmented by polyelectromyography, prior to implementing the combined assessment programme in a group of spinal cord injured and neurologically intact subjects. The relationships between the findings of each assessment were examined and the suitability of the combined assessment programme was considered for routine use in the clinical environment. All the measures examined in the study proved to be reliable, able to differentiate between the spinal cord injured and neurologically intact subjects and practical for implementation within the clinical environment. The lack of correlation between the findings of the singular components of the assessment programme supports the hypothesis that it is necessary to include all the measures investigated if the clinician wishes to undertake a comprehensive evaluation of the individual person presenting with abnormal muscle tone following spinal cord injury.

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