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Effect of Air-Splint Application on Soleus Muscle Motoneuron Reflex Excitability in Nondisabled Subjects and Subjects with Cerebrovascular Accidents
- Source :
- Physical Therapy. 72:176-183
- Publication Year :
- 1992
- Publisher :
- Oxford University Press (OUP), 1992.
-
Abstract
- We investigated the effect of air-splint pressure on soleus muscle motoneuron reflex excitability in 18 nondisabled subjects with no history of neurological disease and 8 subjects with cerebrovascular accidents (CVAs). Motoneuron reflex excitability was assessed by measuring the percentage of amplitude (peak-to-peak measurement) change in the Hoffman reflex (H-reflex). Pressure was applied for 5 minutes, after which the air-splint was deflated. Ten H-reflexes were recorded and averaged for each subject before pressure application to obtain a baseline value. H-reflexes were also recorded at set intervals during and after pressure application. Two-way analyses of variance for repeated measures were used to compare each group's pressure and postpressure measurements with the baseline value. Significant F tests were followed by post hoc t tests. Analyses of variance were used to compare the nondisabled subjects' H-reflex recordings with those obtained for the subjects with CVAs. The nondisabled subjects demonstrated reductions of 55% at 1 minute, 52% at 3 minutes, and 40% at the fifth minute of pressure application. The postpressure measurements showed increases in the reflex amplitude at 1 and 3 minutes postpressure; however, by the fifth minute, the amplitude was not different from the baseline value. The subjects with CVAs demonstrated reductions of 41% at 1 minute, 48% at 3 minutes, and 52% at 5 minutes of pressure application. None of the postpressure measurements, however, were statistically different from the baseline value. A statistically significant difference was demonstrated between the nondisabled subjects and the subjects with CVAs at the first minute of pressure release. Air-splint pressure may be useful when a temporary decrease in muscle reflex activity is a therapeutic goal.
- Subjects :
- Adult
Male
medicine.medical_specialty
Time Factors
Post hoc
Physical Therapy, Sports Therapy and Rehabilitation
Hyperkinesis
Therapeutic goal
H-Reflex
Physical medicine and rehabilitation
medicine
Humans
Physical Therapy Modalities
Aged
Soleus muscle
Analysis of Variance
Leg
Electromyography
Significant difference
Splint application
Repeated measures design
Middle Aged
Electric Stimulation
Cerebrovascular Disorders
Splints
Evaluation Studies as Topic
Anesthesia
Reflex
Female
H-reflex
Psychology
Subjects
Details
- ISSN :
- 15386724 and 00319023
- Volume :
- 72
- Database :
- OpenAIRE
- Journal :
- Physical Therapy
- Accession number :
- edsair.doi.dedup.....fcdf3c94b2e3936ebbafd0e0a58433bb