Intrathecal baclofen for treatment of spasticity of multiple sclerosis patients

• Published in: Multiple sclerosis Vol. 12; no. 1; pp. 101 - 103
• Main Authors: smail, D Ben, Peskine, A, Roche, N, Mailhan, L, Thiébaut, J B, Bussel, B
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Thousand Oaks, CA SAGE Publications 01.02.2006; Arnold; Sage Publications Ltd
• Subjects: Adult; Aged; Animal biology; Baclofen - administration & dosage; Baclofen - therapeutic use; Biological and medical sciences; Degenerative and inherited degenerative diseases of the nervous system. Leukodystrophies. Prion diseases; Disabled Persons; Humans; Immunomodulators; Injections, Spinal; Life Sciences; Medical sciences; Middle Aged; Multiple Sclerosis - physiopathology; Multiple sclerosis and variants. Guillain barré syndrome and other inflammatory polyneuropathies. Leukoencephalitis; Muscle Relaxants, Central - administration & dosage; Muscle Relaxants, Central - therapeutic use; Muscle Spasticity - drug therapy; Muscle Spasticity - etiology; Neurology; Pharmacology. Drug treatments; Retrospective Studies; Time Factors; Treatment Outcome; Veterinary medicine and animal Health; spasms; intrathecal baclofen; spasticity; multiple sclerosis; Human; Multiple sclerosis; Nervous system diseases; Spasticity; Muscle tonus alteration; Retrospective; Inflammatory disease; Case study; Striated muscle disease; Treatment; Central nervous system disease; Baclofen; Spasm; Complication; Advanced stage; Degenerative disease; Rehabilitation; Neurological disorder; Intrathecal
• ISSN: 1352-4585; 1477-0970
• DOI: 10.1191/1352458506ms1232sr

We conducted a retrospective study of the case files of 64 multiple sclerosis (MS) patients presenting severe spasticity, who had received intrathecal (IT) baclofen test injections between 1992 and 2004 in a rehabilitation unit. In almost all cases of our series, IT baclofen was proposed to patients who were no longer able to walk. IT baclofen is a safe and effective treatment to reduce spasticity in MS patients. Despite an advanced stage of the disease at the time of pump placement, the complication rate was low and the efficacy of this treatment was maintained over time.