Long term effect (more than five years) of intrathecal baclofen on impairment, disability, and quality of life in patients with severe spasticity of spinal origin

This study investigates the long-term effects of intrathecal baclofen (ITB) on patients with severe spasticity of spinal origin. ITB involves delivering baclofen directly into the spinal fluid via an implanted pump. The goal is to determine if ITB improves impairment (muscle stiffness), disability (functional limitations), and perceived health status (quality of life) over a period longer than five years. The study found that while ITB effectively reduced muscle stiffness and spasms, it did not lead to improvements in disability or perceived health status in the long term. However, most patients were satisfied with the treatment.

• 1
  Long-term intrathecal baclofen resulted in significant improvement in clinical efficacy, specifically reducing spasticity and spasms.
• 2
  A small but significant worsening of disability was observed over the long term, as measured by the EDSS, AI, and ISS scales.
• 3
  There was a significant worsening in the psychosocial dimension of perceived health status (SIP) when comparing the final assessment with the assessment at 26 weeks.