title: [Basic principles and therapy of spasticity].
abstract: An acute central nervous system lesion is followed by a phase of "shock" with flaccid muscle tone. After some weeks the syndrome of spastic paresis develops which is characterized by increased muscle tone and exaggerated tendon tap reflexes. During the last years it could be shown that the characteristic spastic movement disorder is mainly due to secondary changes of muscle properties which require a specific treatment. Exaggerated reflexes do only little contribute to the movement disorder.
authors.affiliation: ParaCare, Universitätsklinik Balgrist, Zürich. dietz@balgrist.unizh.ch
authors.forename: V
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Dietz
mesh_terms: D000208:Acute Disease; D006801:Humans; D009128:Muscle Spasticity / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000628:therapy; D009129:Muscle Tonus / Q000502:physiology; D012021:Reflex, Abnormal / Q000502:physiology; D013116:Spinal Cord / Q000503:physiopathology; D013118:Spinal Cord Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000628:therapy