E A Vola1, M Albano2, C Di Luise2, V Servodidio2, M Sansone3, S Russo2, B Corrado2, C Servodio Iammarrone2, M G Caprio4, G Vallone5. 1. Department of Advanced Biomedical Sciences, University of Naples Federico II, Naples, Italy. elena.a.vola@gmail.com. 2. Department of Public Health, University of Naples Federico II, Naples, Italy. 3. Department of Electrical Engineering and Information Technology (DIETI), University of Naples Federico II, Naples, Italy. 4. Institute of Biostructure and Bioimaging, National Research Council of Italy, Naples, Italy. 5. Department of Advanced Biomedical Sciences, University of Naples Federico II, Naples, Italy.
Abstract
PURPOSE: Cerebral palsy (CP) is a disorder characterized by an increased muscle stiffness that can be contingent on both neurological and biomechanical factors. The neurological aspects are related to hyper-excitability of the stretch reflex, while the biomechanical factors are related to modifications in muscle structure. We used smart-shear wave elastography (S-SWE) to analyze muscle properties and to compare shear wave speed in soleus muscles of patients affected by CP and typically developing children. METHODS: We enrolled 21 children (15 males and 6 females; age range 3-16) with spastic hemiplegia CP and 21 healthy children (11 males and 10 females; age range 3-14). Measurements of soleus S-SWE were performed using a Samsung RS80A ultrasound scanner with Prestige equipment (Samsung Medison Co. Ltd., Seoul, Korea), with a convex array transducer (CA1-7; Samsung Medison Co. Ltd., Seoul, Korea). For each CP child clinical assessment included Modified Ashworth Scale (MAS) score. RESULTS: Children with CP showed greater S-SWE values than the healthy ones (p < 0.001). Our data suggest a significant correlation between the S-SWE values and the MAS scores (Spearman correlation coefficient 0.74; p < 0.001 at Kruskal-Wallis test) in children with CP. CONCLUSIONS: Measuring muscle properties with SWE, a non-invasive and real-time technique, may integrate the physical exam. SWE may be a reliable clinical tool for diagnosis and longitudinal monitoring of muscle stiffness, as well as particularly suitable for grading and for assessing the response to treatments.
PURPOSE:Cerebral palsy (CP) is a disorder characterized by an increased muscle stiffness that can be contingent on both neurological and biomechanical factors. The neurological aspects are related to hyper-excitability of the stretch reflex, while the biomechanical factors are related to modifications in muscle structure. We used smart-shear wave elastography (S-SWE) to analyze muscle properties and to compare shear wave speed in soleus muscles of patients affected by CP and typically developing children. METHODS: We enrolled 21 children (15 males and 6 females; age range 3-16) with spastic hemiplegia CP and 21 healthy children (11 males and 10 females; age range 3-14). Measurements of soleus S-SWE were performed using a Samsung RS80A ultrasound scanner with Prestige equipment (Samsung Medison Co. Ltd., Seoul, Korea), with a convex array transducer (CA1-7; Samsung Medison Co. Ltd., Seoul, Korea). For each CP child clinical assessment included Modified Ashworth Scale (MAS) score. RESULTS:Children with CP showed greater S-SWE values than the healthy ones (p < 0.001). Our data suggest a significant correlation between the S-SWE values and the MAS scores (Spearman correlation coefficient 0.74; p < 0.001 at Kruskal-Wallis test) in children with CP. CONCLUSIONS: Measuring muscle properties with SWE, a non-invasive and real-time technique, may integrate the physical exam. SWE may be a reliable clinical tool for diagnosis and longitudinal monitoring of muscle stiffness, as well as particularly suitable for grading and for assessing the response to treatments.
Authors: Joline E Brandenburg; Sarah F Eby; Pengfei Song; Shirley Kingsley-Berg; William Bamlet; Gary C Sieck; Kai-Nan An Journal: Dev Med Child Neurol Date: 2016-07-04 Impact factor: 5.449
Authors: Benjamin F Mentiplay; Luke G Perraton; Kelly J Bower; Brooke Adair; Yong-Hao Pua; Gavin P Williams; Rebekah McGaw; Ross A Clark Journal: PLoS One Date: 2015-10-28 Impact factor: 3.240