Session Information
Date: Thursday, November 14, 2019
Session Title: Neurological Rehabilitation Research Report
Session Time: 12:30pm-2:00pm
Location: Research Hub - Kiosk 6
Disclosures: Atul T. Patel, MD, MHSA: Allergan: Consultant/Advisory Board, Research Grant or Support
Allergan: Research Grant or Support
Ipsen: Consultant/Advisory Board, Research Grant or Support
Merz: Consultant/Advisory Board, Research Grant or Support
Objective: To evaluate the impact of spasticity and its treatment with botulinum toxin type A (BoNT-A) in U.S. patients and caregivers.
Design: Patients and caregivers of patients were asked to complete an internet-based survey. Questions were multiple choice, sliding-scale (10=best, 0=worst) or free-text answers, and included impact of spasticity on quality of life (QoL), treatment satisfaction and BoNT-A injection burden.
Setting: The online community Carenity for people with chronic health conditions, November 2017 to February 2018.
Participants: Patients or caregivers of patients (≥18 years old) who had received BoNT-A for ≥1 year to treat spasticity, living in the U.S., and were able to complete the questionnaire.
Interventions: Non-interventional; this was a multinational survey.
Main Outcome Measures: Impact of spasticity on patients and caregivers of patients’ daily-living activities and QoL.
Results: Of the 615 respondents, 300 resided in the U.S. (178 patients; 122 caregivers). Patients’ mean (standard deviation [SD]) age was 45.8 (16.5) years, and the most common etiologies for spasticity were multiple sclerosis (102/300; 34%) and stroke (59/300; 20%). Among respondents aged <65 years (173 patients; 119 caregivers), spasticity impacted on ability to work in 42% and 40%, respectively. The mean (SD) score for impact on patients’ overall QoL was 7.3 (2.4; 0=no impact; 10=great impact). Patients reported receiving a mean (SD) of 4.8 (2.2) BoNT-A injections per year, and respondents reported a mean (SD) score for overall treatment satisfaction of 7.0 (2.2)/10. When questioned about BoNT-A injection burden, >80% of patients expressed concerns about cost, frequency, and logistics of administration, and 91% about pain during/after injection. Overall, 97% of patients and caregivers felt that patients would benefit from the longer-lasting effect of BoNT-A treatment and, subsequently, less frequent administration.
Conclusions: Spasticity has a substantial burden on patients and caregivers, which may be improved with BoNT-A treatment. Patients may benefit from less frequent BoNT-A administration, assuming that efficacy is maintained.
Level of Evidence: Level III
To cite this abstract in AMA style:
Patel AT, Wein T, Bahroo L, Wilczynski O, Rios C, Murie-Fernandez M. Burden of Spasticity and Treatment with Botulinum Toxin Type A: U.S. Results of a Survey of Patients and Caregivers [abstract]. PM R. 2019; 11(S2)(suppl 2). https://pmrjabstracts.org/abstract/burden-of-spasticity-and-treatment-with-botulinum-toxin-type-a-u-s-results-of-a-survey-of-patients-and-caregivers/. Accessed May 22, 2025.« Back to AAPM&R Annual Assembly 2019
PM&R Meeting Abstracts - https://pmrjabstracts.org/abstract/burden-of-spasticity-and-treatment-with-botulinum-toxin-type-a-u-s-results-of-a-survey-of-patients-and-caregivers/