Transforming spasticity assessment worldwide
Prof Gavin Williams has made many significant research and practice contributions to assessment and management of spasticity, catching of the muscle when lengthened at speed, in the major muscles of the arm and leg.
His work began with the publication of ‘A Guide to the Modified Tardieu Scale’ in 2019, a manual which has been widely adopted across Australia and New Zealand for teaching, clinical and research purposes. Whilst providing a means of standardising spasticity assessment, its hardcopy format restricts broader international access. To address this, Gavin and his team have digitalised the manual into an intermediary webpage. Following clinician feedback, they plan to develop the high-quality resources into a functional app.
Spasticity is a common impairment in patients with neurological conditions, often resulting in limited independence, poorer quality of life, and greater carer burden and healthcare costs. Effective assessment and management are essential, but the lack of standardised testing protocol creates inconsistency in teaching, clinical practice and research. With healthcare being increasingly digitalised in neurological rehab, translating the hardcopy manual into a webpage with high-quality resources would greatly improve its distribution and implementation.
Through inclusion of educational videos rather than still images, enabling international dissemination, and providing cheaper access to these resources, the app will enhance spasticity assessment and management globally to help clinicians, researchers and people with neurological conditions. Gavin and his team have a strong record in spasticity research, having authored international concensus papers on spasticity assessment, treatment and management, which has transformed neurological rehab protocol. This initiative seeks to further improve consistency in clinical assessments, which can ultimately lead to better treatment decisions and patient care.