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Trompetto C, Marinelli L, Mori L, Bragazzi N, Maggi G, Cotellessa F, Puce L, Vestito L, Molteni F, Gasperini G, Farina N, Bissolotti L, Sciarrini F, Millevolte M, Balestrieri F, Restivo DA, Chisari C, Santamato A, Del Felice A, Manganotti P, Serrati C, Currà A. Increasing the Passive Range of Joint Motion in Stroke Patients Using Botulinum Toxin: The Role of Pain Relief. Toxins (Basel) 2023; 15:toxins15050335. [PMID: 37235369 DOI: 10.3390/toxins15050335] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/24/2023] [Revised: 03/31/2023] [Accepted: 05/09/2023] [Indexed: 05/28/2023] Open
Abstract
By blocking the release of neurotransmitters, botulinum toxin A (BoNT-A) is an effective treatment for muscle over-activity and pain in stroke patients. BoNT-A has also been reported to increase passive range of motion (p-ROM), the decrease of which is mainly due to muscle shortening (i.e., muscle contracture). Although the mechanism of action of BoNT-A on p-ROM is far from understood, pain relief may be hypothesized to play a role. To test this hypothesis, a retrospective investigation of p-ROM and pain was conducted in post-stroke patients treated with BoNT-A for upper limb hypertonia. Among 70 stroke patients enrolled in the study, muscle tone (Modified Ashworth Scale), pathological postures, p-ROM, and pain during p-ROM assessment (Numeric Rating Scale, NRS) were investigated in elbow flexors (48 patients) and in finger flexors (64 patients), just before and 3-6 weeks after BoNT-A treatment. Before BoNT-A treatment, pathological postures of elbow flexion were found in all patients but one. A decreased elbow p-ROM was found in 18 patients (38%). Patients with decreased p-ROM had higher pain-NRS scores (5.08 ± 1.96, with a pain score ≥8 in 11% of cases) than patients with normal p-ROM (0.57 ± 1.36) (p < 0.001). Similarly, pathological postures of finger flexion were found in all patients but two. A decreased finger p-ROM was found in 14 patients (22%). Pain was more intense in the 14 patients with decreased p-ROM (8.43 ± 1.74, with a pain score ≥ 8 in 86% of cases) than in the 50 patients with normal p-ROM (0.98 ± 1.89) (p < 0.001). After BoNT-A treatment, muscle tone, pathological postures, and pain decreased in both elbow and finger flexors. In contrast, p-ROM increased only in finger flexors. The study discusses that pain plays a pivotal role in the increase in p-ROM observed after BoNT-A treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carlo Trompetto
- Department of Neuroscience, Rehabilitation, Ophthalmology, Genetics, Maternal and Child Health, University of Genoa, 16132 Genoa, GE, Italy
- IRCCS Ospedale Policlinico San Martino, Division of Neurorehabilitation, Department of Neuroscience, 16132 Genoa, GE, Italy
| | - Lucio Marinelli
- Department of Neuroscience, Rehabilitation, Ophthalmology, Genetics, Maternal and Child Health, University of Genoa, 16132 Genoa, GE, Italy
- IRCCS Ospedale Policlinico San Martino, Division of Clinical Neurophysiology, Department of Neuroscience, 16132 Genoa, GE, Italy
| | - Laura Mori
- Department of Neuroscience, Rehabilitation, Ophthalmology, Genetics, Maternal and Child Health, University of Genoa, 16132 Genoa, GE, Italy
- IRCCS Ospedale Policlinico San Martino, Division of Neurorehabilitation, Department of Neuroscience, 16132 Genoa, GE, Italy
| | - Nicola Bragazzi
- Laboratory for Industrial and Applied Mathematics (LIAM), Department of Mathematics and Statistics, York University, Toronto, ON M3J 1P3, Canada
| | - Giulia Maggi
- Department of Neuroscience, Rehabilitation, Ophthalmology, Genetics, Maternal and Child Health, University of Genoa, 16132 Genoa, GE, Italy
- IRCCS Ospedale Policlinico San Martino, Division of Neurorehabilitation, Department of Neuroscience, 16132 Genoa, GE, Italy
| | - Filippo Cotellessa
- Department of Neuroscience, Rehabilitation, Ophthalmology, Genetics, Maternal and Child Health, University of Genoa, 16132 Genoa, GE, Italy
- IRCCS Ospedale Policlinico San Martino, Division of Neurorehabilitation, Department of Neuroscience, 16132 Genoa, GE, Italy
| | - Luca Puce
- Department of Neuroscience, Rehabilitation, Ophthalmology, Genetics, Maternal and Child Health, University of Genoa, 16132 Genoa, GE, Italy
- IRCCS Ospedale Policlinico San Martino, Division of Neurorehabilitation, Department of Neuroscience, 16132 Genoa, GE, Italy
| | - Lucilla Vestito
- Department of Neuroscience, Rehabilitation, Ophthalmology, Genetics, Maternal and Child Health, University of Genoa, 16132 Genoa, GE, Italy
- IRCCS Ospedale Policlinico San Martino, Division of Neurorehabilitation, Department of Neuroscience, 16132 Genoa, GE, Italy
| | - Franco Molteni
- Villa Beretta Rehabilitation Center, 23845 Costa Masnaga, LC, Italy
| | - Giulio Gasperini
- Villa Beretta Rehabilitation Center, 23845 Costa Masnaga, LC, Italy
| | - Nico Farina
- Villa Beretta Rehabilitation Center, 23845 Costa Masnaga, LC, Italy
| | - Luciano Bissolotti
- Rehabilitation Service, Fondazione Teresa Camplani Casa di Cura Domus Salutis, 25123 Brescia, BS, Italy
| | | | - Marzia Millevolte
- Clinica di Neuroriabilitazione, AOU Ospedali Riuniti, 60030 Ancona, AN, Italy
| | - Fabrizio Balestrieri
- SOSD Gravi Cerebrolesioni Acquisite, AUSL Toscana Centro, 50141 Florence, FI, Italy
| | | | - Carmelo Chisari
- Section of Neurorehabilitation, Department of Medical Specialties, University Hospital of Pisa, 56124 Pisa, PI, Italy
| | - Andrea Santamato
- Spasticity and Movement Disorders "ReSTaRt" Unit, Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation Section, Policlinico Riuniti, University of Foggia, 71122 Foggia, FG, Italy
| | - Alessandra Del Felice
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Padua, 35122 Padua, PD, Italy
- Padua Neuroscience Center, University of Padua, 35122 Padua, PD, Italy
| | - Paolo Manganotti
- Clinical Unit of Neurology, Department of Medicine, Surgery and Health Sciences, Trieste University Hospital, University of Trieste, 34127 Trieste, TS, Italy
| | - Carlo Serrati
- Department of Neurology, Imperia Hospital, 18100 Imperia, IM, Italy
| | - Antonio Currà
- Academic Neurology Unit, Department of Medico-surgical Sciences and Biotechnologies, Sapienza University of Rome, 04019 Terracina, LT, Italy
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