| Location: | Centre for Rehabilitation and Engineering Studies (CREST), University of Newcastle, Newcastle upon Tyne. |
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| Amount: | £85,701 |
| Status: | Research completed |
| Start Date: | 1st April 2001 |
| Finish Date: | 31st March 2005 |
| Grantholder: | Professor Garth R Johnson, FREng, PhD, CEng, FIMechE, Dr C I M Price, MB, MRCP, CMEd and Professor Michael P Barnes, MD, FRCP |
| Research worker: | Mr J Salazar-Torres |
Thousands of people who have suffered from a neurological injury, such as stroke or a head injury, are left with a degree of spasticity which leads to deformity and difficulty in movement. Despite the frequent occurrence of these problems and the advent of new treatments however, there are no reliable methods to measure spasticity at present. This project follows on from a previous Action Research grant and will continue a research programme to develop a biomechanical method to measure reflex responses, in order to identify key features of spasticity. The aim is to provide a tool by which doctors in the clinic can make a more accurate diagnosis in cases of spasticity which will help them to provide better therapy.