OBJECTIVE: A recent prevalence study of 353 @entity602 ( @entity602 ) individuals in the greater Stockholm area showed problematic @entity508 in 30% of this population. To treat @entity508 , the evaluation becomes crucial. The modified Ashworth scale (MAS) is the clinically most-used scale to grade degree of @entity508 . This study evaluated whether the MAS correlated with electromyographic (EMG) recordings of muscle activity. STUDY DESIGN: This cross-sectional study was performed at an outpatient clinic that has the responsibility to do a standardized, yearly follow-up of all @entity602 @entity1 in the greater Stockholm area. Thirty-eight @entity602 individuals met the inclusion criteria; 15 of the 38 were randomly selected for the study. They were all motor-complete tetraplegic @entity1 ; mean age was 33 years and mean time since injury was 9 years. Spasticity evaluation was performed by flexing and extending the knees during simultaneous EMG recordings and MAS assessment of the thigh muscle activity. RESULTS: Eighty percent of the individual EMG recordings correlated significantly with the corresponding Ashworth measurements. The spastic resistance, as measured both clinically and electromyographically, was stronger and lasted longer during extension than flexion movements. Spearman coefficients for correlation of quantitative @entity508 measures with MAS grades were calculated. EMG and clinical measures of @entity508 were more closely correlated for flexion movements. Among EMG parameters, duration of movement-associated electrical activity invariably correlated significantly with the MAS grades (p < .05). Furthermore, Ashworth measurements of movement-associated @entity508 showed a positive correlation with the EMG parameters mean, peak, and start to peak of electrical activity. Each increasing grade on the MAS corresponded to increasing myoelectric activity levels for each movement. CONCLUSION: EMG parameters were significantly positively correlated with simultaneous MAS measurements of the @entity508 . The Ashworth scale may therefore accurately reflect the movement-provoked @entity508 in motor-complete tetraplegic @entity1 .

Simultaneous Ashworth measurements and electromyographic recordings in tetraplegic XXXX .

@entity1 :: ('9606', 'Species') :: ['patients', 'men'] @entity508 :: ('MESH:D009128', 'Disease') :: ['spasticity', 'spastic muscle contraction'] @entity602 :: ('MESH:D013118', 'Disease') :: ['SCI', 'spinal cord injured']
@entity1 :: (9606,Species) :: ['patients']
