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Reciprocal excitation of antagonistic muscles as a differentiating feature in spasticity
Author(s) -
Myklebust Barbara M.,
Gottlieb Gerald L.,
Penn Richard D.,
Agarwal Gyan C.
Publication year - 1982
Publication title -
annals of neurology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 4.764
H-Index - 296
eISSN - 1531-8249
pISSN - 0364-5134
DOI - 10.1002/ana.410120409
Subject(s) - spasticity , reciprocal , feature (linguistics) , reciprocal inhibition , neuroscience , excitation , medicine , physical medicine and rehabilitation , psychology , physics , philosophy , linguistics , quantum mechanics , inhibitory postsynaptic potential
The electromyographic activity evoked by forced ankle rotation in spastic patients with cerebral palsy differs markedly from that found in normal subject or in patients with adult‐onset injuries to the central nervous system. Rapid dorsiflexion can produce a strong myotatic reflex electromyogram at 30 to 50 msec in the normal adult's stretched soleus muscle, while the antagonist tibialis anterior muscle remains quiet. The same is true of spastic patients whose injury has an adult onset. In patients with cerebral palsy this early response is found in both muscle groups. The pattern of “reciprocal excitation” is in marked contrast to the reciprocal inhibition normally seen. This reflex behavior suggests a fundamental developmental error in neuronal interconnections of the spinal cord in cerebral palsy.