Boost for stroke patients

Muscle movement problems are difficult to treat

The suffering of stroke and head injury patients could be eased by a technique that will help overcome difficulties in treating their condition.

Doctors have long struggled to deal with muscle movement problems and even new therapies have been hampered by the problem of working out drug doses and when they should be given.

But now scientists at Newcastle University have developed a device that measures muscle movement and will allow experts to target treatment to the needs of the individual.

The device is connected to the patient using a moulded splint and tells medical experts how much force is needed to move the elbow and knee joints.

A UK firm is interested in developing the equipment and negotiations are continuing with the university's Centre for Rehabilitation and Engineering Studies.

Professor Garth Johnson, at the centre, said: "Spasticity is essentially a problem in which muscles become difficult to use in people who have suffered a head injury or a stroke.

Pain

"There is a certain amount of pain, but more particularly, it is difficult to make movements, for instance of the elbow and fingers.

"In recent years, Botulinum Toxin has become available, which alleviates the problem to some degree. But what clinicians now need is some means of evaluating how much benefit it is providing and how often it is needed."

A simple cuff is attached to the forearm and an angle-measuring device placed on the upper arm.

The doctor holds equipment which measures the force put on the arm as the arm is quickly straightened.

The data taken by the two devices is fed into a computer which reveals the extent of the spasticity and allows doctors to work out treatment regimes.

Professor Johnson said the device has been successfully trialled on patients and he expected the device to be commercially available within 12 months.