title: Electrophysiologic assessment of spasticity in children using H-reflex.
abstract: We investigated a possible correlation between Hoffmann's reflex (H-reflex) and the Modified Ashworth Scale (MAS) in children with spasticity. H-reflex latencies, amplitudes (H amplitude), Hmax/Mmax amplitude, and MAS were simultaneously measured in 30 children who had bilateral spasticity on the lower extremities. Children with MAS scores of 1 and +1 composed Group I (n=11), and children with MAS scores of 2 and 3 composed Group II (n=26) and Group III (n=23), respectively. The H-reflex latencies were significantly shorter and Hmax/Mmax ratios were significantly higher in patients with cerebral palsy than controls irrespective of the degree of the MAS. The H-reflex latencies in patients with MAS of 1 or +1 were significantly longer than in patients with MAS of 2. Other than between these two groups for H-reflex latencies, no significant differences were revealed among the three different MAS groups for either H-reflex latencies or Hmax/Mmax ratios. There is a positive correlation between spasticity assessed by MAS and H-reflex. We concluded that the H-reflex is a reliable electrophysiologic test for assessment of spasticity in children.
authors.affiliation: Division of Pediatric Neurology, Department of Pediatrics, Ege University Hospital, İzmir, Turkey. hasan.tekgul@ege.edu.tr.
authors.forename: Hasan
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Tekgül
authors.forename: Muzaffer
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Polat
authors.forename: Ayşe
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Tosun
authors.forename: Gül
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Serdaroğlu
authors.forename: Sarenur
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Gökben
mesh_terms: D002675:Child, Preschool; D004594:Electrophysiology; D005260:Female; D006181:H-Reflex / Q000502:physiology*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009128:Muscle Spasticity / Q000175:diagnosis*