Clinically meaningful differences of the Ashworth Scale in patients with chronic post-stroke upper limb spasticity treated with botulinum neurotoxin type A (botox ®)

Abstract

We describe the clinical importance of changes in Ashworth Scale (AS) scores in chronic post-stroke spasticity patients. Data from 3 clinical trials including 442 patients were pooled and analyzed. Changes from baseline in the AS were compared to the Physician Global Assessment score (PGAS). Receiver Operator Curve (ROC) analyses with wrist flexor AS change from baseline as the independent variable and PGAS as the dependent variable were performed to estimate clinically meaningful changes in spasticity using the criteria for clinical meaningfulness of PGAS ⩾1 (mild improvement or better) and PGAS ⩾2 (moderate improvement or better). Pearson correlation for the change in wrist AS and PGAS was −0.44 (p=0, t=26.5), with correlations of −0.45 and −0.22 noted for the finger and elbow (p Study supported by: Allergan, Irvine, CA