Characteristics of the vibratory reflex in humans with reduced suprasegmental influence due to spinal cord injury

Clinical Neurophysiological Assessment of Residual Motor Control in Post-Spinal Cord Injury Paralysis

“…5,6 Researchers have used the term discomplete to encompass a syndrome of neurophysiological findings to differentiate SCI subjects who, although clinically paralyzed, showed such subclinical evidence of translesional motor connections. 7 The discomplete syndrome was neurophysiologically defined in the absence of apparent voluntary movement as having either repeatable responses to reinforcement maneuvers, such as the Jendrassik maneuver, or Assessment of Post-SCI Paralysis responses to strong vibration that persist for at least 30 seconds, 8,9 and the ability to volitionally suppress repeatable responses evoked by plantar surface stimulation in muscles innervated from below the SCI. 10 The study presented here was undertaken to neurophysiologically characterize the discomplete motor control syndrome in a larger group of paralyzed AIS-A and AIS-B SCI subjects.…”

Brain Motor Control Assessment Post Early Intensive Hand Rehabilitation After Spinal Cord Injury

“…This behavior has been reported in previous studies as well. 10,11 Tendon tap responses and coactivation of unnecessary muscles during a task are the markers that can be used to investigate the existence of supraspinal influences over the motor circuitry of the examined muscles. 12 Supraspinal centers can influence the spinal reflexes by sending direct input to alpha or gamma motoneurons, stimulating the segmental inhibitory interneurons, and acting on propriospinal neurons that extend to other segmental levels.…”

Brain motor control assessment of upper limb function in patients with spinal cord injury

“…7,23,24 The TTR and TVR responses are two markers that can be used to investigate the existence of supraspinal influences over the motor circuitry of the examined muscle. 25,26 Eklund and Hagbarth 27 described the TVR response as a reflex muscular contraction in response to a vibratory stimulus. In neurologically intact people, mechanical vibration of low amplitude (3 mm) and a frequency of about 100 cycles per second, efficiently produces a reflex contraction, which increases slowly till a plateau is reached.…”