Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Modulation of locomotor activity in complete spinal cord injury

  • Research Article
  • Published:
Experimental Brain Research Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

The aim of this study was to evaluate the modulation of muscle activity during locomotor-like movements by different walking speeds in subjects with a motor complete spinal cord injury (SCI) compared to actively- and passively-walking control subjects without neurological deficit. Stepping movements on a treadmill were induced and assisted by a driven gait orthosis. Electromyographic (EMG) muscle activity of one leg (rectus and biceps femoris, tibialis anterior and gastrocnemius) was recorded and analyzed at three stepping velocities with similar body weight support in both subject groups. In SCI subjects, the EMG amplitude of biceps femoris, tibialis anterior and gastrocnemius was in general similar or weaker than in passively- and actively-stepping control subjects, but that of rectus femoris was larger. The degree of co-activation between tibialis anterior and gastrocnemius was higher in SCI than in control subjects. A significant velocity-dependent EMG modulation was present in all four-leg muscles in both subject groups. In SCI subjects, this EMG modulation was similar to that in actively stepping control subjects. It is concluded that in complete spastic SCI subjects, spinal neuronal circuits underlying locomotion can to a large extent adequately respond to a change in external drive to adapt the neuronal pattern to a new locomotion speed. The application of various speeds might enhance the effect of locomotor training in incomplete SCI subjects.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1
Fig. 2
Fig. 3
Fig. 4

Similar content being viewed by others

Abbreviations

ANOVA:

Analysis of variance

BF:

m. biceps femoris

BWS:

Body weight support

DGO:

Driven gait orthosis

EMG:

Electromyography

GM:

m. gastrocnemius medialis

MF:

Modulation factor

RF:

m. rectus femoris

RMS:

Root mean square

SCI:

Spinal cord injury

TA:

m. tibialis anterior

References

  • Barbeau H, Rossignol S (1994) Enhancement of locomotor recovery following spinal cord injury. Curr Opin Neurol 7:517–524

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Barbeau H, Julien C, Rossignol S (1987) The effects of clonidine and yohimbine on locomotion and cutaneous reflexes in the adult chronic spinal cat. Brain Res 437:83–96

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Beres-Jones JA, Harkema SJ (2004) The human spinal cord interprets velocity-dependent afferent input during stepping. Brain 127:2232–2246

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Bohannon RW, Smith MB (1987) Interrater reliability of a modified Ashworth Scale of muscle spasticity. Phys Ther 67:206–207

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Bouyer L, Rossignol S (2003) Contribution of cutaneous inputs from the hind paw to the control of locomotion. II. Spinal cats. J Neurophysiol 90:3640–3653

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Colombo G, Joerg M, Schreier R, Dietz V (2000) Treadmill training of paraplegic patients using a robotic orthosis. J Rehabil Res Dev 37:693–700

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Colombo G, Wirz M, Dietz V (2001) Driven gait orthosis for improvement of locomotor training in paraplegic patients. Spinal Cord 39:252–255

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • De Leon R, Hodgson J, Roy R, Edgerton V (1999) Retention of hindlimb stepping ability in adult spinal cats after the cessation of step training. J Neurophysiol 81:85–94

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • De Luca C (1997) The use of surface electromyography in biomechanics. J Appl Biomech 13:135–163

    Google Scholar 

  • Dietz V, Harkema S (2004) Locomotor activity in spinal cord-injured persons. J Appl Physiol 96:1954–1960

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Dietz V, Müller R (2004) Degradation neuronal function following spinal cord injury: mechanisms and countermeasures. Brain 158:308–316

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Dietz V, Colombo G, Jensen L, Baumgartner L (1995) Locomotor capacity of spinal cord in paraplegic patients. Ann Neurol 37:574–582

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Dietz V, Wirz M, Colombo G, Curt A (1998a) Locomotor capacity and recovery of spinal cord function in paraplegic patients: a clinical and electrophysiological evaluation. Electroencephalogr Clin Neurophysiol 109:140–153

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Dietz V, Wirz M, Curt A, Colombo G (1998b) Locomotor pattern in paraplegic patients: training effects and recovery of spinal cord function. Spinal Cord 36:380–390

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Dietz V, Müller R, Colombo G (2002) Locomotor activity in spinal man: significance of afferent input from joint and load receptors. Brain 125:2626–2634

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Dobkin B, Harkema SJ, Requejo PS, Edgerton VR (1995) Modulation of lokomotor-like EMG activity in subjects with complete and incomplete spinal cord injury. J Neurol Rehabil 9:183–190

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Edgerton V, Tillakaratne N, De Leon R, Roy R (2004) Plasticity of the spinal neural circuitry after injury. Annu Rev Neurosci 17:145–167

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Gomez-Pinilla F, Ying Z, Roy R, Hodgson J, Edgerton V (2004) Afferent input modulates neurotrophins and synaptic plasticity in the spinal cord. J Neurophysiol 92:3423–3432

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Grillner S (1985) Neurobiological basis on rhythmic motor acts in vertebrates. Science 228:143–149

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Harkema S, Hurley S, Patel U, Requejo P, Dobkin B, Edgerton V (1997) Human lumbosacral spinal cord interprets loading during stepping. J Neurophysiol 77:797–811

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Hidler JM, Wall AE (2005) Alterations in muscle activation patterns during robotic-assisted walking. Clin Biomech (Bristol, Avon) 20:184–193

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Jilge B, Minassian K, Rattay F, Pinter M, Gerstenbrand F, Binder H, Dimitrijevic M (2004) Initiating extension of the lower limbs in subjects with spinal cord injury by epidural lumbar cord stimulation. Exp Brain Res 154:308–326

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Lünenburger L, Oertig M, Brunschweiler A, Colombo G, Riener R, Dietz V (2005) Assessment of spasticity with the robotic gait orthosis Lokomat. Brain Injury 19(Suppl 1):57

    Google Scholar 

  • Maynard FJ, Bracken M, Creasey G, Ditunno JJ, Donovan W, Ducker T, Garber S, Marino R, Stover S, Tator C, Waters R, Wilberger J, Young W (1997) International standards for neurological and functional classification of spinal cord injury. American Spinal Injury Association. Spinal Cord 35:266–274

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Pohl M, Mehrholz J, Ritschel C, Rückriem S (2002) Speed-dependent treadmill training in ambulatory hemiparetic stroke patients: a randomized controlled trial. Stroke 33:553–558

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Yakovenko S, McCrea DA, Stecina K, Prochazka A (2005) Control of locomotor cycle durations. J Neurophys 94:1057–1065

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgements

This work was supported by the Swiss National Science Foundation (NCCR Neural plasticity and repair) and International Institute for Research in Paraplegia IFP (no. P59). The authors thank M. Stüssi and H. van Hedel for technical support.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Spinal Cord Injury Center, Balgrist University Hospital, Forchstrasse 340, 8008, Zürich, Switzerland

    L. Lünenburger, M. Bolliger, D. Czell, R. Müller & V. Dietz

Authors
  1. L. Lünenburger
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. M. Bolliger
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. D. Czell
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. R. Müller
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  5. V. Dietz
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to L. Lünenburger.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Lünenburger, L., Bolliger, M., Czell, D. et al. Modulation of locomotor activity in complete spinal cord injury. Exp Brain Res 174, 638–646 (2006). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00221-006-0509-4

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00221-006-0509-4

Keywords

Search

Navigation