AUTHOR=Baricich Alessio , Battaglia Marco , Cuneo Daria , Cosenza Lucia , Millevolte Marzia , Cosma Michela , Filippetti Mirko , Dalise Stefania , Azzollini Valentina , Chisari Carmelo , Spina Stefania , Cinone Nicoletta , Scotti Lorenza , Invernizzi Marco , Paolucci Stefano , Picelli Alessandro , Santamato Andrea 

TITLE=Clinical efficacy of botulinum toxin type A in patients with traumatic brain injury, spinal cord injury, or multiple sclerosis: An observational longitudinal study

JOURNAL=Frontiers in Neurology

VOLUME=Volume 14 - 2023

YEAR=2023

URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/neurology/articles/10.3389/fneur.2023.1133390

DOI=10.3389/fneur.2023.1133390

ISSN=1664-2295

ABSTRACT=Botulinum toxin type A (BoNT-A) is the treatment of choice for focal spasticity, with a concomitant effect on pain reduction and improvement of quality of life (QoL). Current evidence of efficacy is based mainly on post stroke spasticity. This study aims to clarify the role of BoNT-A in a context of non-stroke spasticity (NSS). We enrolled 86 patients affected by multiple sclerosis, spinal cord injury and traumatic brain injury with clinical indication to perform BoNT-A treatment. Subjects were evaluated before injection and after 1, 3 and 6 months. At every visit, spasticity severity with the modified Ashworth scale, pain with the numeric rating scale, QoL with the Euro Qol Group EQ-5D-5L and the perceived treatment effect with the Global Assessment of Efficacy scale were recorded. BoNT-A demonstrated to have a significant effect in improving all the outcome variables, with different effect persistence over time in relation to the diagnosis and the number of treated sites. Our results support BoNT-A effect as a disability modifier and suggest its implementation in NSS, delivering a possible starting point to generate diagnosis-specific follow-up programs.
ClinicalTrials identifier: NCT04673240