title: Quality of life of patients with telemetric pumps for intrathecal baclofen infusion: data and limitations of assessment scales.
abstract: Over the past three decades, telemetric pumps have been used for the infusion of intrathecal baclofen in patients with severe spasticity, but the correlation between pump implantation and quality of life (QoL) has rarely been studied. The aim of this study was therefore to quantify QoL in these patients. We assessed 15 candidates for intrathecal baclofen infusion pump implantation using three scales: Self-Evaluation of Life Function, Quality of Life Index, and Quality of Well-Being Scale. These scales were administered a week before pump implantation and 12 months after reaching the optimal dosage. The first scale revealed a significant increase in QoL, whereas on the other two the increase was not significant. These results encourage us to continue this study in a larger patient sample, considering different types of pathology and presence/absence of caregivers.
authors.affiliation: Centro Studi Neurolesi, University of Messina, Italy.
authors.forename: Placido
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Bramanti
authors.forename: Giangaetano
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: D'Aleo
authors.forename: Carmela
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Rifici
authors.forename: Antonella
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Alagna
authors.forename: Angelo
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Cannata
authors.forename: Edoardo
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Sessa
authors.forename: Paolo
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Di Bella
authors.forename: Giuseppe
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Marra
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001418:Baclofen / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D002908:Chronic Disease; D004185:Disability Evaluation; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D015918:Infusion Pumps, Implantable; D007278:Injections, Spinal; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009125:Muscle Relaxants, Central / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D009128:Muscle Spasticity / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000503:physiopathology* / Q000523:psychology; D011788:Quality of Life; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D013686:Telemetry
chemical_list: D009125:Muscle Relaxants, Central; D001418:Baclofen