Jove
Visualize
Contact Us
JoVE
x logofacebook logolinkedin logoyoutube logo
ABOUT JoVE
OverviewLeadershipBlogJoVE Help Center
AUTHORS
Publishing ProcessEditorial BoardScope & PoliciesPeer ReviewFAQSubmit
LIBRARIANS
TestimonialsSubscriptionsAccessResourcesLibrary Advisory BoardFAQ
RESEARCH
JoVE JournalMethods CollectionsJoVE Encyclopedia of ExperimentsArchive
EDUCATION
JoVE CoreJoVE BusinessJoVE Science EducationJoVE Lab ManualFaculty Resource CenterFaculty Site
Terms & Conditions of Use
Privacy Policy
Policies

Related Experiment Videos

Nerve stimulation boosts botulinum toxin action in spasticity.

Emma Frasson1, Alberto Priori, Barbara Ruzzante

  • 1Divisione di Neurologia, Ospedale Civile, Cittadella, Padua, Italy. efrasson@ulss15.pd.it

Movement Disorders : Official Journal of the Movement Disorder Society
|February 24, 2005
PubMed
Summary

Short-term low-frequency electrical nerve stimulation (NS) enhances botulinum toxin type A (BTXA) effectiveness in spastic paraparesis. This combined treatment accelerates neuromuscular blockade and improves spasticity more rapidly and persistently than BTXA alone.

Related Concept Videos

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by
Same author

Intensive Rehabilitation With Adjunctive Bilateral Anodal tDCS in Post-Stroke Dysphagia: A Multicenter Randomized Controlled Trial.

European journal of neurology·2026
Same author

Real-world chronic recordings from implantable adaptive deep brain stimulation systems for Parkinson's disease motor state classification.

Frontiers in bioinformatics·2026
Same author

Psychosocial and body image alterations associated with focal dystonia.

Journal of neural transmission (Vienna, Austria : 1996)·2026
Same author

Pushing athletic performance boundaries with anodal transcranial direct current stimulation: an exploratory, pilot, randomized controlled study on strength and inflammation in elite weightlifters.

BMC sports science, medicine & rehabilitation·2026
Same author

Effects of Transcutaneous Spinal Direct Current Stimulation on Cognitive and Psychological Outcomes in Multiple Sclerosis: A Preliminary Case Series.

Biomedicines·2026
Same author

Reduced Childhood Outdoor Exposure Raises Pediatric Multiple Sclerosis (PedMS) Risk.

Neurology and therapy·2026

Area of Science:

  • Neurology
  • Rehabilitation Medicine
  • Neurophysiology

Background:

  • Spasticity causes nerve and muscle changes, impacting skeletal muscle function.
  • Botulinum toxin type A (BTXA) is used to manage spasticity.
  • The potential synergistic effect of electrical nerve stimulation (NS) with BTXA requires further investigation.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To assess if short-term electrical nerve stimulation (NS) enhances the efficacy of botulinum toxin type A (BTXA) in spastic skeletal muscles.
  • To evaluate the impact of different NS frequencies (low and high) on BTXA's neuromuscular blockade.
  • To analyze changes in compound muscle action potential (CMAP) and electromyographic activity post-treatment.

Main Methods:

  • In paraparetic patients, BTXA was injected into extensor digitorum brevis (EDB) muscles.

Related Experiment Videos

  • One EDB muscle received daily 30-minute low-frequency (4 Hz) or high-frequency (25 Hz) NS for 5 days post-injection; the contralateral EDB served as a control.
  • EDB-CMAP amplitudes were measured pre-injection and at various time points up to 30 days, alongside electromyographic activity.

    • Main Results:

    • BTXA significantly reduced EDB-CMAP amplitudes in both stimulated and non-stimulated muscles.
    • Low-frequency NS significantly enhanced CMAP reduction on days 4, 10, and 15 compared to the non-stimulated side.
    • High-frequency NS showed no significant difference in CMAP reduction compared to the non-stimulated side; however, spontaneous activity appeared earlier and was more widespread with NS.

    Conclusions:

    • Short-term, low-frequency NS accelerates and prolongs the neuromuscular blockade induced by BTXA in spastic paraparesis.
    • This combined approach offers a potentially faster and more persistent improvement in spasticity.
    • Low-frequency NS appears to be the primary driver of the observed synergistic effect.