Clinically Relevant In-vivo assay for anti-spasticity treatment

Newsletter # 82



Animal models


Muscle spasticity is a common neurological disorder where an abnormal muscle stiffness and rigidity is observed making walking, moving or speech difficult. Cerebral palsy is the most common cause of spasticity, but it also arises from other disease conditions such as stroke, multiple sclerosis (MS), amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and brain or spinal trauma. Neurolytic Phenol block remains the treatment of choice when a large muscle groups are involved or when patients are refractory to conservative therapy or resistant to botulinum toxin treatment.

NEUROFIT's data are the first to highlight in rats the long-term neurolytic effect of clinical doses of Phenol.


The model / test implemented is highly sensitive and can be adapted for any relevant neurolytic agents other than Phenol. Also, it has proved to be useful for the profiling of Botulinium toxin-induced Chemodenervation, another type of anti-spasticity approach.




  • ■ CMAP amplitudebr
    The graph illustrates the depression of evoked electrical response (Compound Muscular Action Potential) of rat gastrocnemius muscle following perineural (sciatic nerve) injection of 7% Phenol.

    ■ The effect is prompt as a maximal depression is observed within minutes following the injection.

    The blockade lasts for several weeks and the return to the pre-dose level of the muscle response does not occur before 3 months' time. Such as in the clinical setting, additional injection doses are also possible at any time.




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NEUROFIT offers a range of validated in vitro and in vivo screening tests for psychiatry and neurology.

If you need further information, please do not hesitate to contact us, we will reply within few days. Custom protocol

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