Health-Related Quality of Life Outcomes from Botulinum Toxin Treatment in Spasticity.

OBJECTIVE: The effects of botulinum toxin injections (BoNT) on health-related quality of life along the complex spectrum of spasticity needs further characterization to guide practitioners in a real-life therapeutic environment. METHODS: In this study, we analyzed 50 consecutive and unselected patients with spasticity before and four weeks after re-injection of botulinum toxin. Health-related quality of life in terms of the EuroQol (EQ) as well as further motor and non-motor characteristics were assessed. RESULTS: BoNT improved the EQ visual analog scale (EQ VAS). In addition, state of health and pain maxima improved. The EQ VAS improvement correlated with pre-injection characteristics of the EQ VAS and life satisfaction in the "movement disorders" domain. CONCLUSION: EQ VAS is sensitive for monitoring HR-QoL outcomes in an unselected real life observational cohort. This study may inform future studies intended to validate prediction variables that could inform on HR-QoL effects of BoNT treatment in spasticity.

Health-related quality of life outcomes from botulinumtoxin treatment in blepharospasm.

OBJECTIVE: Blepharospasm associates with impairment in generic health-related quality of life (HR-QoL). Albeit botulinum toxin is widely used to alleviate the motor symptoms of blepharospasm, its effect on generic health-related quality of life (HR-QoL) is heterogeneous. PATIENTS AND METHODS: In this open-label clinical observational study, we characterized outcomes on HR-QoL in terms of the EuroQol (EQ-5D-5 L) from botulinum toxin (BoNT) injection in a prospective cohort of patients with blepharospasm (n = 55). Additionally, we characterized motor and non-motor signs of blepharospasm including motor symptom improvement, life satisfaction, depressive symptoms, pain and sleep quality. Patients were assessed at the end of a regular three-month period from last injection (Timepoint1) and four weeks after the re-injection of BoNT (Timepoint2). RESULTS: There was no improvement of generic HR-QoL on group-level. Individual findings were heterogeneous, dividing patients in three groups of responders (RESP), unchanged outcomes (UNCHN), and worsening (WORSE). We identified, that these subgroups differed at Timepoint 1 with respect to EQ-5D-5 L, EQ-VAS, life satisfaction (health and movement disorders domains), Beck's Depression inventory, and sleep quality (One-way ANOVAs, P <  0.05, adjusted for multiple comparisons). In post-hoc Tuckey tests, RESP or WORSE showed distinct differences from UNCHN that might help to separate the subgroups in future. As such, RESP showed higher impairment in EQ-5D-5L, EQ-VAS, and Beck's Depression Inventory compared to UNCHN (unlike WORSE), whereas WORSE showed higher impairment in life satisfaction 'movement disorders' domain (unlike RESP). CONCLUSION: Our study suggests, that several dependent non-motor, life satisfaction and generic HR-QoL measures associate to individual patient outcomes. The variables identified in this study may be validated in future studies to predict HR-QoL outcomes in patients with blepharospasm.

Health-related quality of life outcomes from botulinum toxin treatment in hemifacial spasm.

BACKGROUND: Although botulinum neurotoxin (BoNT) injections may alleviate involuntary muscle contractions in hemifacial spasm substantially, it is less clear whether the motor effect would translate into improvements of health-related quality of life (HR-QoL). METHODS: In this open-label clinical observational study, we characterized outcomes on HR-QoL in terms of the EuroQol (EQ-5D-5L) from BoNT in a prospective cohort of patients with hemifacial spasm (n = 73). Additionally, we characterized appendicular motor and nonmotor signs on motor symptom improvement, depressive symptoms, pain and sleep quality. Patients were assessed at the end of a regular 3-month period from last injection (timepoint1) and 4 weeks after the reinjection of BoNT (timepoint2). RESULTS: Patients showed improved HR-QoL on the EQ-VAS (visual analogue scale) at timepoint2 compared with timepoint1. Moreover, we identified, that impairments in HR-QoL at timepoint1 correlated with life satisfaction and depressive symptoms, respectively. However, these associated variables did not predict the therapeutic effect. Instead, EQ-VAS at timepoint1 accounted for 34.5% of the variance of EQ-VAS improvement expressed as the difference between timepoint2 and timepoint1. CONCLUSION: Our study supports HR-QoL improvements in hemifacial spasm and the value of generic HR-QoL measures to estimate therapeutic outcome. However, the findings should be considered descriptive, and future high quality trials are needed for confirmatory purposes in order to refine treatment referral in hemifacial spasm with respect to QoL.

Botulinumtoxin Improves both Generic and Disease-Specific Quality of Life in Cervical Dystonia.

Botulinumtoxin injection (BoNT) into affected muscles is effective to improve motor symptoms of cervical dystonia (CD) by reducing muscle contraction and involuntary dystonic movement and posturing. However, the understanding of the effect on health-related quality of life (HR-QoL) and patient referral under HR-QoL aspects is incomplete. In this open-label clinical prospective observational study, we characterized the outcomes in CD (n = 159) from botulinumtoxin on both generic HR-QoL (EuroQol; EQ-5D-5L) and disease-specific HR-QoL [craniocervical dystonia questionnaire (CDQ-24)]. Additionally, we characterized motor and non-motor signs of dystonia including motor symptom improvement, depressive symptoms, pain, and sleep quality. We assessed patients at the end of a regular 3-month period from last injection (Timepoint1) and 4 weeks after the re-injection of BoNT (Timepoint2). We aimed to define outcomes on both generic and disease-specific HR-QoL and to evaluate predictors of therapeutic outcome in terms of stepwise multiple regression models. Patients with CD showed a robust improvement of both generic and disease-specific HR-QoL. Furthermore, motor and non-motor signs improved. Multiple regression analyses revealed that EQ-5D-5L and "satisfaction with health" (Fragen zur Lebenszufriedenheit-G) at Timepoint1 predicted treatment response on generic HR-QoL outcome (R2 = 0.284; P = 0.019). Similarly, CDQ-24 and Beck's Depression inventory at Timepoint1 predicted the treatment response on disease-specific HR-QoL (R2 = 0.253; P = 0.026). Our study underscores both generic and disease-specific HR-QoL improvements in CD, and provides useful predictors on HR-QoL outcomes.