Epidemiological and clinical characteristics of 492 patients in a vegetative state in 29 Italian rehabilitation units. What about outcome?

Recent studies on recovery of consciousness of subjects in a vegetative state (VS) admitted to rehabilitation units have focused mainly on the identification of prognostic factors, whereas few studies have focused on outcome. The aim of this study was to compare demographic and clinical data and report functional outcome of patients in a VS due to severe acquired brain injury (ABI) of different aetiologies. The study was a retrospective multicentre cohort study and involved 492 patients in a VS due to traumatic (TBI) or non-traumatic (NTBI) severe ABI admitted to 29 Italian rehabilitation units.

Efficacy of therapeutic ultrasound and transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation compared with botulinum toxin type A in the treatment of spastic equinus in adults with chronic stroke: a pilot randomized controlled trial.

Background: Therapeutic ultrasound and transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS) have been described as being effective in the treatment of spasticity. No previous study compared these physical modalities with a first-line treatment for spasticity, such as botulinum toxin type A.

Objective: To compare the effects of therapeutic ultrasound and TENS with botulinum toxin type A on spasticity after stroke.

Topical distribution of initial paresis of the limbs to predict clinically relevant spasticity after ischemic stroke: a retrospective cohort study.

Background: The degree of initial paresis relates to spasticity development in stroke patients. However, the importance of proximal and distal paresis in predicting spasticity after stroke is unclear.

Aim: To investigate the role of topical distribution of initial limb paresis to predict clinically relevant spasticity in adults with stroke.