Faculty Collaboration Database

Direction-dependent phasing of locomotor muscle activity is altered post-stroke. J Neurophysiol 2004 Oct;92(4):2207-16

Date

06/04/2004

Pubmed ID

15175363

Pubmed Central ID

PMC3912995

DOI

10.1152/jn.01207.2003

Scopus ID

2-s2.0-4644250041 (requires institutional sign-in at Scopus site)   24 Citations

Abstract

A major contributor to impaired locomotion post-stroke is abnormal phasing of muscle activity. While inappropriate paretic muscle phasing adapts to changing body orientation, load, and speed, it remains unclear whether paretic muscle phasing adapts to reversal of locomotor direction. We examined muscle phasing in backward pedaling, a task that requires shifts in biarticular but not uniarticular muscle phasing relative to forward pedaling. We hypothesized that if paretic and neurologically intact muscle phasing adapt similarly, then paretic biarticular but not paretic uniarticular muscles would shift phasing in backward pedaling. Paretic and neurologically intact individuals pedaled forward and backward while recording electromyograms (EMGs) from vastus medialis (VM), soleus (SOL), rectus femoris (RF), semimembranosus (SM), and biceps femoris (BF). Changes in muscle phasing were assessed by comparing the probability of muscle activity in forward and backward pedaling throughout 18 pedaling cycles. Paretic uniarticular muscles (VM and SOL) showed phase-advanced activity in backward versus forward pedaling, whereas the corresponding neurologically intact muscles showed little to no phasing change. Paretic biarticular muscles were less likely than neurologically intact biarticular muscles to display phasing changes in backward pedaling. Paretic RF displayed no phase change during backward pedaling, and paretic BF displayed no consistent adaptation to backward pedaling. Paretic SM was the only muscle to display backward/forward phase changes that were similar to the neurologically intact group. We conclude that paretic uniarticular muscles are more susceptible and paretic biarticular muscles are less susceptible to direction-dependent phase shifts, consistent with altered sensory integration and impaired cortical control of locomotion.

Author List

Schindler-Ivens S, Brown DA, Brooke JD

Author

Sheila Schindler-Ivens PhD Assistant Professor in the Physical Therapy department at Marquette University

MESH terms used to index this publication - Major topics in bold

Adaptation, Physiological
Aged
Bicycling
Electromyography
Female
Humans
Leg
Locomotion
Male
Middle Aged
Muscle, Skeletal
Paresis
Stroke
Stroke Rehabilitation