http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0306987713004027
- a Universidade Estadual Paulista, School of Science and Technology, Physical Therapy Department, Biomechanics and Motor Control Laboratory, Rua Roberto Simonsen, 305, Presidente Prudente, SP, Brazil
- b School of Arts, Sciences and Humanities, Universidade de São Paulo, EACH, Avenida Arlindo Bettio, 1000, SP, Brazil
- c Neuroscience Program and Biomedical Engineering Laboratory, Universidade de São Paulo, EPUSP, PTC, BrazilThe country name has been inserted in the affiliation. Please check, and correct if necessary.
Abstract
Although
the specific pathophysiological mechanisms underlying the development
of spasticity are not fully understood, a large amount of evidence
suggests that abnormalities in spinal pathways regulating the stretch
reflex may contribute to the hypertonia and hyperreflexia that
characterize spasticity. It is quite interesting that neuromuscular
electrical stimulation (NMES) has been reported as an efficient
treatment for reducing spasticity after stroke while other reports have
shown that it promotes neuroplasticity in healthy subjects. The
hypothesis addressed in this paper is that plastic effects within some
spinal cord pathways may be a possible mechanism associated with the
NMES-induced improvements in spasticity. If the hypothesis is proven
corrected, the association between plasticity within specific spinal
pathways and NMES-induced improvements in spasticity may be used to
guide the choice of stimulation parameters to be used in NMES-based
stroke rehabilitation protocols.
Choose an option to locate/access this article:
Check if you have access through your login credentials or your institution
Check access
No comments:
Post a Comment