title: Use of botulinum toxin type A in the management of patients with neurological disorders: a national survey.
abstract: The aim of this survey was to provide an overview of important issues relating to therapeutic strategies based on botulinum toxin type A injection for the treatment of patients with neurological disorders. Two hundred and ten physicians from neurology and neurorehabilitation units in Italian hospitals answered a questionnaire exploring some clinical aspects of the use of botulinum toxin type A in patients with spasticity/dystonia. 66% of the physicians treated patients with dystonia, 80% treated adults with spasticity, and 35% treated children with cerebral palsy. Palpation with no instrumental guidance was the injection technique most commonly used for treating patients with dystonia, spasticity and cerebral palsy; 57% of the physicians evaluated patients instrumentally before toxin injection, while 45% assessed postinjection improvements by instrumental means; 78% of the physicians prescribed (when appropriate) rehabilitation procedures after toxin injection. Our results seem to show that the routine use of botulinum toxin in clinics is far from standardized.
authors.forename: Nicola
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Smania
authors.forename: Carlo
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Colosimo
authors.forename: Anna Rita
authors.initials: AR
authors.lastname: Bentivoglio
authors.forename: Giorgio
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Sandrini
authors.forename: Alessandro
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Picelli
mesh_terms: D019274:Botulinum Toxins, Type A / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D002547:Cerebral Palsy / Q000188:drug therapy*; D003625:Data Collection; D004421:Dystonia / Q000188:drug therapy*; D006801:Humans; D009128:Muscle Spasticity / Q000188:drug therapy; D009465:Neuromuscular Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*
chemical_list: D009465:Neuromuscular Agents; D019274:Botulinum Toxins, Type A