The Turkish Journal of Pediatrics
2013 , Vol 55 , Num 5
Electrophysiologic assessment of spasticity in children using H-reflex
Division of Pediatric Neurology, Department of Pediatrics, Ege University Hospital, İzmir, Turkey.
E-mail: hasan.tekgul@ege.edu.tr
We investigated a possible correlation between Hoffmann’s reflex (H-reflex)
and the Modified Ashworth Scale (MAS) in children with spasticity. H-reflex
latencies, amplitudes (H amplitude), Hmax/Mmax amplitude, and MAS were
simultaneously measured in 30 children who had bilateral spasticity on the
lower extremities. Children with MAS scores of 1 and +1 composed Group I
(n=11), and children with MAS scores of 2 and 3 composed Group II (n=26)
and Group III (n=23), respectively. The H-reflex latencies were significantly
shorter and Hmax/Mmax ratios were significantly higher in patients with
cerebral palsy than controls irrespective of the degree of the MAS. The H-reflex
latencies in patients with MAS of 1 or +1 were significantly longer than in
patients with MAS of 2. Other than between these two groups for H-reflex
latencies, no significant differences were revealed among the three different
MAS groups for either H-reflex latencies or Hmax/Mmax ratios. There is a
positive correlation between spasticity assessed by MAS and H-reflex. We
concluded that the H-reflex is a reliable electrophysiologic test for assessment
of spasticity in children.
Keywords :
spasticity, children, Modified Ashworth Scale, H-reflex, cerebral palsy.