Post-stroke spastic movement disorder (PS-SMD) is one of the main causes of severe disability in the chronic phase after stroke. The prevalence of SMD goes up with time after stroke to more than 28% in the chronic phase., Its secondary complications such as contracture, abnormal postures and/or movement patterns, spasticity-associated pain also increase with time after stroke when physical and medical management of PS-SMD have been delayed in the early stroke phase. It has been published by several controlled studies that the earlier physical and medical measures, such as botulinum toxin type A (BoNT-A) therapy are included in rehabilitative strategies for the SMD, the fewer secondary complications, especially soft tissue contractures and pain occurred. Several studies showed that goal-orientated management of PS-SMD including BoNT-A therapy, applied within a few weeks and three months - in the early subacute phase after stroke onset - prevented or reduced the development of severe or disabling SMD and its secondary complications, more effective than late application of BoNT-A therapy - in the chronic phase after stroke. In multiple prospective cohort studies, various predictors and predictive approaches for detection of patients on risk to development PS-SMD were found. Based on that information and the controlled studies that showed reduction in PS-SMD complications following early treatment with BoNT-A nowadays, early treatment of PS-SMD in the early subacute phase following stroke is recommended to avoid or reduce the development of post-stroke disability and to improve the outcome of rehabilitation. In this review, we discuss the optimal timing to apply BoNT-A therapy in patients with already present as well as those at high risk of severe PS-SMD.
Keywords: Botulinum; Disabling; Spastic movement disorder; Upper motor neuron syndrome; troke.
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