NINDS Spasticity Information Page: NINDS

Article title: NINDS Spasticity Information Page: NINDS
Main condition: Spasticity
Conditions: Spasticity

What is Spasticity?
Spasticity is a condition in which certain muscles are continuously contracted. This contraction causes stiffness or tightness of the muscles and may interfere with gait, movement, and speech. Spasticity is usually caused by damage to the portion of the brain or spinal cord that controls voluntary movement. It may occur in association with spinal cord injury, multiple sclerosis, cerebral palsy, anoxic brain damage, brain trauma, severe head injury, some metabolic diseases such as adrenoleukodystrophy, and phenylketonuria. Symptoms may include hypertonicity (increased muscle tone), clonus (a series of rapid muscle contractions), exaggerated deep tendon reflexes, muscle spasms, scissoring (involuntary crossing of the legs), and fixed joints. The degree of spasticity varies from mild muscle stiffness to severe, painful, and uncontrollable muscle spasms. The condition can interfere with rehabilitation in patients with certain disorders, and often interferes with daily activities.

Is there any treatment?
Treatment may include such medications as baclofen, diazepam, or clonazepam; muscle stretching, range of motion exercises, and other physical therapy regimens to help prevent joint contractures (shrinkage or shortening of a muscle) and reduce the severity of symptoms; or surgery for tendon release or to sever the nerve-muscle pathway.

What is the prognosis?
The prognosis for those with spasticity depends on the severity of the spasticity and the associated disorder(s).

What research is being done?
The NINDS supports research on brain and spinal cord disorders that can cause spasticity. The goals of this research are to increase scientific understanding about these disorders and to find ways to prevent, treat, and cure them.

Organizations

March of Dimes Birth Defects Foundation
1275 Mamaroneck Avenue
White Plains, NY 10605
resourcecenter@modimes.org
http://www.modimes.org/
Tel: 914-428-7100 888-MODIMES (663-4637)
Fax: 914-428-8203

National Multiple Sclerosis Society
733 Third Avenue
6th Floor
New York, NY 10017-3288
nat@nmss.org
http://www.nationalmssociety.org/
Tel: 212-986-3240 800-344-4867 (FIGHTMS)
Fax: 212-986-7981

National Organization for Rare Disorders (NORD)
P.O. Box 8923
(100 Route 37)
New Fairfield, CT 06812-8923
orphan@rarediseases.org
http://www.rarediseases.org/
Tel: 203-746-6518 800-999-NORD (6673)
Fax: 203-746-6481

United Cerebral Palsy Associations
1600 L Street, NW
Suite 700
Washington, DC 20036
webmaster@ucp.org
http://www.ucp.org/
Tel: 202-776-0406 800-USA-5UCP (872-5827)
Fax: 202-776-0414

Classification and Definition of Disorders causing Hypertonia in Childhood
Consensus report of a meeting on hypertonia in childhood, April 22-24, 2001.

This fact sheet is in the public domain. You may copy it.Provided by:
The National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke
National Institutes of Health
Bethesda, MD 20892

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