USE OF CLONIDINE FOR TREATMENT OF SPASTICITY ARISING FROM VARIOUS FORMS OF BRAIN INJURY - A CASE SERIES

Spasticity may occur as a result of different types of brain injury. T he experience with six patients, aged 17-73 years, treated with clonid ine for spasticity due to brain injuries of various causes is presente d. These cases include a patient with traumatic brain injury, three pa tients with intracranial haemorrhage, a patient with a right basal gan glia stroke 3 years prior to a left subdural haematoma associated with a fall, and a patient with cerebral palsy. To varying degrees for eac h patient, clonidine was effective in reducing extremity hypertonicity . A possible mechanism of action is discussed. These case findings sug gest clonidine may be useful in the management of spasticity associate d with various forms of brain injury, and that formal studies of cloni dine for this application appear warranted.