Evidence map›Paper›PMID 33814471›Full record

ArticleNeuroRehabilitation2021

Added-value of spasticity reduction to improve arm-hand skill performance in sub-acute stroke patients with a moderately to severely affected arm-hand.

Johan Anton Franck, Rob Johannes Elise Marie Smeets, Jule Elmanowski, Karolien Renders, Henk Alexander Maria Seelen

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in NeuroRehabilitation, 2021. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 3 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
3citing papers in PubMed, 1 pooled it
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

3 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it.

  1. Pooled it
  2. Article
  3. Review
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

5 authors.

Johan Anton FranckAdelante Centre of Expertise in Rehabilitation and Audiology, Hoensbroek, The Netherlands.
Rob Johannes Elise Marie SmeetsDepartment of Rehabilitation Medicine, Research School CAPHRI, Maastricht University, Maastricht, The Netherlands.
Jule ElmanowskiAdelante Centre of Expertise in Rehabilitation and Audiology, Hoensbroek, The Netherlands.
Karolien RendersDepartment of Brain Injury Rehabilitation, Adelante Rehabilitation Centre, Hoensbroek, The Netherlands.
Henk Alexander Maria SeelenAdelante Centre of Expertise in Rehabilitation and Audiology, Hoensbroek, The Netherlands.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

BACKGROUND AND

objectiveStroke patients with a moderately to severely affected hand may be impeded in exploiting their full arm-hand training potential during rehabilitation due to spasticity. Reducing early signs of spasticity in sub-acute stroke patients may lead to improvements in arm-hand-function and arm-hand-skill-performance.

methodsSingle-case-experimental-design and meta-analysis. Ten sub-acute stroke patients (Modified-Ashworth-Scale:1 + to 3) participated. Training: 2x6 weeks, using a well-described arm-hand regime (therapy-as-usual). Botulinum-toxin was administered once within 5 weeks after onset of therapy-as-usual. MEASURES: Action-Research-Arm-Test, ABILHAND, Fugl-Meyer-Assessment, grip-strength, Motricity-Index.

resultsAt group level, after baseline trend correction, adjusting for spontaneous recovery and therapy-as-usual effects, the added-value of botulinum-toxin-A on arm-hand-function and arm-hand-skill-performance was not confirmed. However, non-detrended data revealed significant improvements over time on arm-hand-function and arm-hand-skill-performance level (p≤0.037). Conversely, at individual level, after baseline trend correction, 7/10 patients improved on arm-hand-function: Fugl-Meyer-Assessment (N = 4; p≤0.019), grip-strength (N = 3; p≤0.014), Motricity-Index (N = 4; p≤0.002), whereas 6/10 patients improved on arm-hand-skill-performance: Action-Research-Arm-Test (N = 3; p≤0.042), ABILHAND (N = 5; p≤0.034).

conclusionApplication of botulinum-toxin-A may have an added-value in a substantial part of sub-acute stroke patients suffering from spasticity early post-stroke and who, at the point of therapy admission, display no dexterity. It may improve their arm-hand performance when combined with a well- defined therapy-as-usual.

Indexed as

AgedArmBotulinum Toxins, Type AHandHumansMaleMiddle AgedMuscle SpasticityNeuromuscular AgentsRecovery of FunctionStrokeStroke RehabilitationBotulinum Toxins, Type ANeuromuscular Agentsarm-handmotor impairmentmotor performancerehabilitationspasticityStroketask-oriented training

Identifiers

PMID33814471
PMCPMC8150539

What OpenQuestion holds

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Registered trials

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.