title: Facilitatory effects of anti-spastic medication on robotic locomotor training in people with chronic incomplete spinal cord injury.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The objective of this study was to investigate whether an anti-spasticity medication can facilitate the effects of robotic locomotor treadmill training (LTT) to improve gait function in people with incomplete spinal cord injury (SCI).
  
  
  METHODS
  Individuals with chronic incomplete SCI were recruited and carried out a 4 week intervention of either locomotor treadmill training (LTT) alone (n = 26) or LTT combined with Tizanidine (TizLTT), an anti-spasticity medication (n = 22). Gait function was evaluated using clinical outcome measures of gait, speed and endurance. To better understand the underlying mechanisms of the therapeutic effects, maximal strength, active range of motion (AROM) and peak velocity (Vp) of ankle dorsi- and planter-flexor muscles were also measured. Differences were assessed using two-way mixed design analysis of variance. The number of subjects that achieved the minimal important difference (MID) for clinical scores was also measured for each group, and the results of those that did attain the MID were compared with those that did not.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Both LTT and TizLTT resulted in significant improvements in walking speed and dorsiflexion maximum strength, with no significant differences between them, using group-averaging analysis. However, using the MID analysis, a higher proportion of subjects in the TizLTT group achieved the MID for walking speed (40%) compared with LTT alone (13%). Those that achieved the MID for walking speed were significantly higher functioning at baseline than those that did not in the TizLTT group, and the change in walking speed was associated with the change in dorsiflexion peak velocity (R(2) = 0.40; P < 0.05).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Tizanidine appears to facilitate the effects of LTT on gait function in individuals with chronic SCI that are higher functioning at baseline. We speculate that this may be due to restoration of inhibitory mechanisms by Tizanidine, resulting in greater stretch in the planterflexor muscles during the LTT.
authors.affiliation: Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Northwestern University, 345 E Superior Street, Chicago, USA. l.duffell@ucl.ac.uk.
authors.forename: Lynsey D
authors.initials: LD
authors.lastname: Duffell
authors.affiliation: Sensory Motor Performance Program, Rehabilitation Institute of Chicago, 345 E Superior Street, Chicago, USA. gbrown@ricres.org.
authors.forename: Geoffrey L
authors.initials: GL
authors.lastname: Brown
authors.affiliation: Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Northwestern University, 345 E Superior Street, Chicago, USA. mehdi@northwestern.edu.|Sensory Motor Performance Program, Rehabilitation Institute of Chicago, 345 E Superior Street, Chicago, USA. mehdi@northwestern.edu.
authors.forename: Mehdi M
authors.initials: MM
authors.lastname: Mirbagheri
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001696:Biomechanical Phenomena; D003000:Clonidine / Q000031:analogs & derivatives / Q000627:therapeutic use; D005260:Female; D005684:Gait; D006801:Humans; D007537:Isometric Contraction; D007858:Learning / Q000187:drug effects*; D008124:Locomotion; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009125:Muscle Relaxants, Central / Q000627:therapeutic use; D009128:Muscle Spasticity / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000209:etiology*; D053580:Muscle Strength; D018482:Muscle, Skeletal / Q000503:physiopathology; D016059:Range of Motion, Articular; D012371:Robotics; D013119:Spinal Cord Injuries / Q000150:complications* / Q000534:rehabilitation*; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D016138:Walking
chemical_list: D009125:Muscle Relaxants, Central; C023754:tizanidine; D003000:Clonidine