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Placebo controlled utility and feasibility study of the H-reflex and flexor reflex in spastic children treated with intrathecal baclofen.

Author(s): Hoving MA, van Kranen-Mastenbroek VH, van Raak EP, Spincemaille GH, Hardy EL, Vles JS, On Behalf Of The Dutch Study Group On Child Spasticity

Affiliation(s): Department of Neurology, University Hospital Maastricht, P. Debyelaan 25, Postbus 5800, 6202 AZ Maastricht, The Netherlands. mahoving@hotmail.com

Publication date & source: 2006-07, Clin Neurophysiol., 117(7):1508-17. Epub 2006 Jun 8.

Publication type: Comparative Study ; Randomized Controlled Trial

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate feasibility and utility of the soleus H-reflex and tibialis anterior flexor reflex (FR) in identifying spinal cord neuronal response to intrathecal baclofen (ITB) in children with severe spastic cerebral palsy. METHODS: During a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled dose-escalation test treatment, maximum H amplitude/maximum M amplitude (H/M ratio) and FR parameters were bilaterally recorded at baseline and 2-3 h after intrathecal bolus administration of placebo and increasing doses of baclofen until both an improvement in the individual treatment goal(s) and a one-point reduction on the Ashworth scale were observed. RESULTS: Electrophysiological data of 14 children were studied. The H-reflex was feasible in 13 children, the FR threshold area in 9 and the FR, elicited with supramaximal stimulation, in only one child. After ITB, the H/M ratio significantly decreased (left: 0.67+/-0.47 to 0.15+/-0.18, P=0.005; right: 0.55+/-0.32 to 0.14+/-0.19, P=0.002) without placebo effect. FR threshold area after ITB, only decreased significantly in children not taking oral baclofen (left: 146+/-53 to 41+/-54 mV ms, P=0.000; right: 156+/-80 to 66+/-48 mV ms, P=0.002). CONCLUSIONS: This is the first randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled dose-escalation study in spastic children demonstrating the soleus H-reflex to be a feasible and objective measure to quantify the decreasing motoneuron excitability in response to ITB bolus administration. Only in children not taking oral baclofen, FR threshold area can also be used as an objective outcome measure, yet feasibility is limited. SIGNIFICANCE: We suggest introducing the H-reflex as the electrophysiological gold standard for the evaluation of the effect of ITB in spastic children.

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