Pros and Cons of Botulinum Injection Treatment in Cerebral Palsy: A Qualitative Study Examining the Caregiver's Perspectives

Spasticity is defined as an increase in physiological resistance of the muscles associated with a lack of supraspinal inhibition against passive strain. It is a common and prohibitive problem associated with an increase in tendon reflex and tension reflex associated with upper motor neuron dysfunction. One of the most common problems in patients with CP.

Methods used in the treatment of spasticity; medical therapy, physical therapy, intrathecal baclofen pump, botulinum toxin injection, and orthopedic correction operations. However, botulinum toxin type-A (BTX-A) injections, which are applied to the muscles especially for localized spasticity, have become an effective adjuvant option that increases the effectiveness of classical methods and diversifies the treatment options.

BTX-A, which is basically a chemodenervation method; It is a treatment method that blocks the transmission of signal in the neuromuscular junction by preventing the release of acetylcholine vesicles into the presynaptic space. In spastic muscles, relaxation can be achieved by correct injection. Botulinum toxin type A has been shown to be an effective and safe treatment for children to reduce spasticity.

In Turkish society, there is no study evaluating the caregivers' experiences and opinions about botox treatments of patients with the diagnosis of cerebral palsy and limited studies in the literature are from countries with different sociodemographic features such as the United States and the United Kingdom. Although these patients have been receiving this treatment in investigators' center for years, there is no study in the literature that evaluates the plus and minus aspects of caregivers' experiences in this regard.