
Second Day of the I Dissemination Cycle IIS Aragón
14 April 2023SAMCA Chair, IV Multidisciplinary Innovation Award
17 April 2023The project analyzes dry needling as an alternative to botulinum toxin infiltration to treat spasticity in stroke patients
The iHealthy group, from the IIS, leads this study, which will receive funding of 755.000 euros for the period 2023-2025
The European STROKE-POC project, led by the iHealthy group of the Aragon Health Research Institute (IIS Aragón), held its launch meeting in Zaragoza this weekend, in which its international partners from Canada and Belgium participated. The study, which will receive funding of 755.000 euros for the period 2023-2025, seeks to investigate the mechanisms of action and effectiveness of dry needling for the treatment of spasticity in patients who have suffered a stroke, comparing it with the current pharmacological alternative. botulinum toxin.
The project is led by Dr. Pablo Herrero, principal investigator of the iHealthy Group at IIS Aragón, and is developed in coordination with researchers from Canada, led by Mindy Levin (McGill University), and from Belgium, led by Wim Saeys (University of Antwerp ). STROKE-POC aims to deepen the knowledge of the mechanisms of action of both treatments and the effects they have on both the central nervous system and the muscle, analyzing possible adverse effects and the cost-effectiveness of each treatment. “Botulinum toxin is currently the first option for the treatment of post-stroke spasticity, so the objective is to do a comparative study with dry needling and analyze if it is equally effective, but with fewer adverse effects and lower costs” , argues Herrero, also a professor of the Degree in Physiotherapy at the Faculty of Health Sciences of the University of Zaragoza.
According to data from the Spanish Society of Neurology (SEN), every year between 110.000 and 120.000 people suffer a stroke in Spain, of which half are left with disabling consequences or die. Currently, more than 330.000 Spaniards have some limitation in their functional capacity due to having suffered this stroke. “One of the most important sequelae is spasticity, which limits movement and leads to a greater or lesser degree of disability, depending on the severity of the spasticity. It is a motor disorder that occurs as a consequence of an injury to the central nervous system and, therefore, is common to many neurological pathologies such as stroke, multiple sclerosis or childhood cerebral palsy, among others,” explains Herrero. “Spasticity is characterized by an increase in muscle activity, which can generate difficulties or even an inability to perform movements, therefore affecting any activity of daily living such as walking or picking up an object where muscle contraction is required.” , Add.
The iHealthy research group at IIS Aragón develops its research activity in the area of Physiotherapy with an interdisciplinary approach thanks to the participation of researchers from different areas. Its main lines of research are invasive physiotherapy, telerehabilitation or the use of technologies that allow for “personalized physiotherapy”.
In addition to the researchers and participants in STROKE-POC, the official launch ceremony of the project was also attended by the scientific director of IIS Aragón, Ángel Lanas, and the executive director, Óscar López; María José Amorín, deputy medical director of the Central Services of the Lozano Blesa University Clinical Hospital in Zaragoza; and Ignacio Garcés, head of international projects at the University of Zaragoza.
The IIS Aragón has obtained financing for the project through the Carlos III Health Institute (ISCIII), within the framework of the subsidies for international collaboration projects of the 2022 call of the Strategic Action in Health 2021-2023, charged to the European funds of the Recovery, Transformation and Resilience Plan, while the rest of the partners have done so through their corresponding national financing entities.