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Interleaved neuromuscular electrical stimulation after spinal cord injury
Author(s) -
Bergquist Austin J.,
Wiest Matheus J.,
Okuma Yoshino,
Collins David F.
Publication year - 2017
Publication title -
muscle and nerve
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.025
H-Index - 145
eISSN - 1097-4598
pISSN - 0148-639X
DOI - 10.1002/mus.25634
Subject(s) - medicine , electromyography , trunk , stimulation , spinal cord injury , physical medicine and rehabilitation , spinal cord , anesthesia , plantar flexion , functional electrical stimulation , paralysis , physical therapy , anatomy , surgery , ecology , ankle , psychiatry , biology
ABSTRACT Introduction Neuromuscular electrical stimulation (NMES) over a muscle belly (mNMES) recruits superficial motor units (MUs) preferentially, whereas NMES over a nerve trunk (nNMES) recruits MUs evenly throughout the muscle. We performed tests to determine whether “interleaving” pulses between the mNMES and nNMES sites (iNMES) reduces the fatigability of contractions for people experiencing paralysis because of chronic spinal cord injury. Methods Plantar flexion torque and soleus electromyography (M‐waves) were recorded from 8 participants. A fatigue protocol (75 contractions; 2 s on/2 s off for 5 min) was delivered by iNMES. The results were compared with previously published data collected with mNMES and nNMES in the same 8 participants. Results Torque declined ∼40% more during mNMES than during nNMES or iNMES. M‐waves declined during mNMES but not during nNMES or iNMES. Discussion To reduce fatigability of electrically evoked contractions of paralyzed plantar flexors, iNMES is equivalent to nNMES, and both are superior to mNMES. Muscle Nerve 56 : 989–993, 2017