Effects of glatiramer acetate on spasticity in previously interferon-beta-treated and treatment-naive patients with relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis: a prospective, nonrandomized, open-label, uncontrolled, observational pilot study

What Was Tested

Researchers studied Glatiramer Acetate in the context of multiple sclerosis in this clinical trial publication.

The aim of the present study was to assess the effects of GA on spasticity in patients with relapsing-remitting MS who had been previously treated with IFN-beta or were treatment naive.

Why It Was Studied

Treatment with interferon-beta (IFN-beta) has been related to worsening of muscle spasticity in patients with multiple sclerosis (MS).

However, there are no specific data on the effects of glatiramer acetate (GA) on spasticity.

Who Took Part

The age groups tagged for this paper are adults and middle-aged adults, both men and women.

Patients' physical condition was assessed at baseline and at the end of follow-up using the Modified Ashworth Scale (MAS), Penn Spasm Frequency Scale (PSFS), Global Pain Score (GPS), Adductor Tone Rating Scale, Expanded Disability Status Scale (EDSS), and neurophysiologic tests (latency and amplitude of the Hoffmann reflex [H reflex] in the soleus, and ratio of maximum H reflex to maximum motor response [H/M ratio] in the lower limb).

How the Study Was Run

The researchers set it up as a pilot study.

It is described as a pilot, a small early test of whether a larger Glatiramer Acetate study would be practical.

The follow-up periods for cohorts 1 and 2 were 18 and 12 months, respectively.

The frequency and severity of adverse events were recorded throughout follow-up, and investigators rated the causal relationship to GA (unrelated, unlikely, possibly, or probably).

What Was Measured

PubMed files the paper under topics including Glatiramer Acetate, Immunologic Factors, Immunosuppressive Agents, Interferon-beta, Multiple Sclerosis, Relapsing-Remitting, Muscle Spasticity and Peptides.

What This Means in Plain Language

The paper is a pilot study of Glatiramer Acetate in people with multiple sclerosis.

Results are reported in around 12 sentences of the abstract; we leave them to the paper itself rather than summarise them.

The publication is from 2010 (Clinical therapeutics), a journal based in United States.

More context: the Glatiramer Acetate compound page, Multiple sclerosis research.