A single session of motor imagery paired with spinal stimulation improves manual dexterity and increases cortical excitability after spinal cord injury
Antonio Capozio , Madison Graham , Ronaldo Ichiyama , Sarah L. Astill
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引用次数: 0
Abstract
Objective
Non-invasive stimulation of the spinal cord at the cervical level (TSCS) can induce neural plasticity and improve upper limb function in people living with cervical spinal cord injury (SCI) when paired with task practice. The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of a session of motor imagery (MI) paired with TSCS on manual dexterity, corticospinal and spinal excitability in people living with cervical SCI.
Methods
Eight participants (4 females, mean age 46yrs ± 17) completed three sessions of: 1) MI; 2) TSCS at C5–C6 level; 3) MI + TSCS, listening to the MI script while receiving TSCS. Manual dexterity was assessed with the Purdue Pegboard Test (PPT), corticospinal excitability was assessed with Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (TMS) delivered at motor threshold and suprathreshold (120 % intensities, and spinal excitability delivered at motor threshold and suprathreshold (110 %, 120 %) intensities was assessed with single pulses of TSCS.
Results
Manual dexterity increased from baseline after all three conditions (p = 0.016). Corticospinal excitability increased from baseline after MI (p = 0.002] and MI + TSCS (p = 0.031], but not TSCS (p = 0.343). Spinal excitability was not affected by any of the conditions (p = 0.425).
Conclusions
These findings demonstrate that a single session of MI and TSCS, either alone or in combination, can increase manual dexterity in people living with cervical SCI. The increase in dexterity was paralleled by increases in corticospinal excitability for the MI and MI + TSCS conditions.
Significance
Our findings indicate that MI and TSCS improve manual dexterity and increase corticospinal excitability in people living with cervical SCI when employed in isolation or in combination.
期刊介绍:
As of January 1999, The journal Electroencephalography and Clinical Neurophysiology, and its two sections Electromyography and Motor Control and Evoked Potentials have amalgamated to become this journal - Clinical Neurophysiology.
Clinical Neurophysiology is the official journal of the International Federation of Clinical Neurophysiology, the Brazilian Society of Clinical Neurophysiology, the Czech Society of Clinical Neurophysiology, the Italian Clinical Neurophysiology Society and the International Society of Intraoperative Neurophysiology.The journal is dedicated to fostering research and disseminating information on all aspects of both normal and abnormal functioning of the nervous system. The key aim of the publication is to disseminate scholarly reports on the pathophysiology underlying diseases of the central and peripheral nervous system of human patients. Clinical trials that use neurophysiological measures to document change are encouraged, as are manuscripts reporting data on integrated neuroimaging of central nervous function including, but not limited to, functional MRI, MEG, EEG, PET and other neuroimaging modalities.