Article

OBJECTIVE: To quantify remaining motor deficits in well-recovered subjects with
incomplete spinal cord injury. DESIGN: Case-control study. SETTING: Spinal cord
injury center of a university hospital. PARTICIPANTS: Out of a volunteer sample,
we recruited 15 subjects with incomplete paraplegia (mean age, 50y; 67% men;
neurologic level from T4 to L4; mean time since injury, 6.3y) and close-to-normal
walking pattern. They were compared with 15 age- and sex-matched controls.
INTERVENTIONS: Not applicable. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Response time and its 4
subparts, processing time, conduction time, motor time, and movement time. These
were assessed with an electromyogram-supported lower-limb response time task and
single-pulse transcranial magnetic stimulation to measure the motor-evoked
potential latency of the M. tibialis anterior. In addition, participants were
tested for lower-extremity muscle strength, gait capacity, visual acuity, and
upper-extremity response time. RESULTS: Well-recovered subjects with incomplete
paraplegia still suffered from deficits in conduction and movement time, whereas
their processing and motor times were essentially normal. In addition, these
patients showed delayed movement times of the upper limb, even if their injury
was located in the thoracic or lumbar region. CONCLUSIONS: Well-recovered
patients with incomplete paraplegia still experience difficulties with quick and
accurate movements. Furthermore, combining transcranial magnetic stimulation,
electromyogram, and a response time task proved useful for investigating deficits
in executing fast and accurate movements.
CI - Copyright (c) 2013 American Congress of Rehabilitation Medicine. Published by
Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Langue : ANGLAIS