Robotic arm training in neurorehabilitation enhanced by augmented reality - a usability and feasibility study.

Background: Robotic therapy and serious gaming support motor learning in neurorehabilitation. Traditional monitor-based gaming outputs cannot adequately represent the third dimension, whereas virtual reality headsets lack the connection to the real world. The use of Augmented Reality (AR) techniques could potentially overcome these issues.

Management of spasticity associated pain with botulinum toxin A.

Lesions of the central nervous system often result in an upper motor neuron syndrome including spasticity, paresis with pyramidal signs, and painful spasms. Pharmacological treatment with oral antispasticity drugs is frequently associated with systemic side effects which limit their clinical use. Botulinum Toxin A (BtxA) injected in spastic muscles has been shown to be effective in reducing muscle tone, but only few studies have reported pain relief as additional benefit.

Continuous intrathecal baclofen infusions induced a marked increase of the transcranially evoked silent period in a patient with generalized dystonia.

We observed a marked prolongation of the transcranially evoked silent period during continuous intrathecal administration of high doses of the gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA)B receptor agonist baclofen in a patient with generalized dystonia. Size of motor evoked potentials and central conduction time remained unchanged during intrathecal baclofen administration. The selective prolongation of the silent period during high-dose continuous intrathecal baclofen therapy supports the notion that GABA(B)-ergic intracortical interneurons play a part in the generation of the transcranially evoked silent period.

Intrathecal baclofen therapy for stiff-man syndrome and progressive encephalomyelopathy with rigidity and myoclonus.

We report on eight patients with stiff-man syndrome (SMS) or its "plus" variant, progressive encephalomyelopathy with rigidity and myoclonus (PERM) receiving intrathecal baclofen via pump. In six of the patients, follow-ups continued for approximately 2.5 to 6.