The Prevalence of Spasticity in Veterans Living in a Long-Term Care Facility

Objective: To determine the prevalence of spasticity in a population of veterans residing in a long-term care facility. Design: Prospective population study.

Subjects/Patients: Forty-three male veterans of the United States Armed Forces residing in a long-term care facility.

Methods: All facility residents and their medical decision makers (if necessary) were approached for enrollment in this study. After consent was obtained, two neurologists specializing in movement disorders independently conducted a brief physical examination to ascertain the presence or absence of spasticity.

Results: The prevalence of spasticity in veterans residing in this long-term care facility was 33% (14/43). Forty-three percent (6/14) of subjects determined to have spasticity had at least one sign of spasticity documented in their medical record.

Conclusion: This study reports that one-third of veterans residing in a long-term care facility have spasticity. No signs of spasticity were documented in the medical records of 57% (8/14) of the subjects determined to have spasticity during the study, which suggests spasticity is greatly under-diagnosed in this population. These results highlight the need for more detailed observation of signs of spasticity for veterans in long-term care settings.