Botulinum toxin injections for pediatric patients with hereditary spastic paraparesis.

Abstract

Limited information is available on the use of botulinum toxin type A injections for children with hereditary spastic paraplegia. This report includes 12 children with hereditary spastic paraplegia (mean age 4.8 +/- 2.5 years) who underwent 1 to 6 sessions of botulinum toxin A injections to the hamstrings, adductors and gastrocnemius muscles. Patients showed both improved muscle tone (mean 1.9 +/- 0.5 vs 1.18 +/- 0.33, P < .001, Ashworth Scale) and motor function (75.3 +/- 11.9 vs 77.7 +/- 11, P < .001, Gross Motor Function Measure). The effect lasted for a mean of 6.6 +/- 3.6 months. During the study period (mean 2.8 +/- 1.8 years), the preinjection Gross Motor Function Measure increased (69.2 +/- 14.7 vs 78.3 +/- 13.5, P = .005), whereas the Ashworth Scale remained stable, suggesting a prolonged effect of botulinum toxin A on motor function. The authors conclude that botulinum toxin A injections to lower limbs of pediatric patients with hereditary spastic paraplegia result in prolonged functional improvement despite the progressive nature of the disease.

• Authors: Keren Geva-Dayan, Dafna Domenievitz, Rafat Zahalka, Aviva Fattal-Valevski
• Journal: Journal of child neurology (J Child Neurol) Vol. 25 Issue 8 Pg. 969-75 (Aug 2010) ISSN: 1708-8283 [Electronic] United States
• PMID: 20406997 (Publication Type: Journal Article)

Chemical References

• Neuromuscular Agents
• Botulinum Toxins, Type A

Topics

• Activities of Daily Living
• Botulinum Toxins, Type A (administration & dosage, adverse effects)
• Child
• Child, Preschool
• Female
• Humans
• Infant
• Male
• Muscle, Skeletal (drug effects, physiopathology)
• Neuromuscular Agents (administration & dosage, adverse effects)
• Outcome Assessment, Health Care (methods)
• Quality of Life
• Retrospective Studies
• Spastic Paraplegia, Hereditary (drug therapy, physiopathology, psychology)
• Treatment Outcome