Does galvanic vestibular stimulation decrease spasticity in clinically complete spinal cord injury?

The aim of this study was to determine changes in clinical and biomechanical measures of spasticity after administering galvanic vestibular stimulation in patients with a complete spinal cord injury (SCI). The spasticity in the lower limbs was assessed using the Modified Ashworth Scale and the pendulum test in seven SCI patients (grade A on the ASIA Impairment Scale) before (0), immediately after (0), and at 5 and 30 min after the real versus sham galvanic vestibular stimulation (15 s each, anode over the right mastoid). Overall, the changes in spasticity were not significantly different between the real and sham galvanic vestibular stimulation. However, the Modified Ashworth Scale and the pendulum test indicated a reduction in spasticity in two out of seven patients. The results suggest that galvanic vestibular stimulation may modify spasticity in some patients with complete SCI, presumably through the residual vestibulospinal influences. Future studies should determine clinical and neurophysiological profiles of responders versus nonresponders and optimize parameters of galvanic vestibular stimulation.

Assessment of Spasticity by a Pendulum Test in SCI Patients Who Exercise FES Cycling or Receive Only Conventional Therapy.

Increased muscle tone and exaggerated tendon reflexes characterize most of the individuals after a spinal cord injury (SCI). We estimated seven parameters from the pendulum test and used them to compare with the Ashworth modified scale of spasticity grades in three populations (retrospective study) to assess their spasticity. Three ASIA B SCI patients who exercised on a stationary FES bicycle formed group F, six ASIA B SCI patients who received only conventional therapy were in the group C, and six healthy individuals constituted the group H. The parameters from the pendulum test were used to form a single measure, termed the PT score, for each subject. The pendulum test parameters show differences between the F and C groups, but not between the F and H groups, however, statistical significance was limited due to the small study size. Results show a small deviation from the mean for all parameters in the F group and substantial deviations from the mean for the parameters in the C group. PT scores show significant differences between the F and C groups and the C and H groups and no differences between the F and C groups. The correlation between the PT score and Ashworth score was 0.88.