Ashworth And Tardieu Scales: Their Clinical Relevance For Measuring Spasticity In Adult And Paediatric Neurological Populations

Abstract

The commonest bedside tool for assessing spasticity is the Ashworth Scale. Recently, particularly in the paediatric literature, the Tardieu Scale has gained favour because it can quantify spasticity. Also, preliminary findings suggest that it is more reliable than the modified Ashworth Scale. Fundamental to the clinical examination of spasticity and hypertonia is a clear understanding of the terminology and the mechanical and neurophysiological changes that accompany upper motor neuron lesions. With these objectives in mind, the literature was reviewed in order to examine the clinical relevance of the Ashworth and Tardieu Scales.