Johan Van Doornik⁽¹⁾, Dimitris Patikas⁽²⁾, Daniel Olivier⁽³⁾, Gabriella Cerri⁽⁴⁾, Michel Ladouceur⁽⁵⁾, Jens Bo Nielsen⁽⁶⁾, Thomas Sinkjaer^(7)
(1)Centre for Sensory-Motor Interaction - Aalborg. Denmark
⁽²⁾Aristotle University of Thessaloniki - Thessaloniki. Greece
⁽⁵⁾Dept. of Medical Informatics and Image Analysis. Center for Sensory-Motor Interaction (SMI). Institute of Electronic Systems, Aalborg University - Aalborg O. Denmark
⁽⁷⁾Center for Sensory Motor Interaction. Aalborg University - Aalborg. Denmark

	[Neuroscience]	[Physiology]	[Neurology]	[Physical Therapeutics & Rehabilitation]

CONCLUSION & DISCUSSION

As presented in the title, these results are obtained during a pilot study. The results show only a limited number of subjects and hence should be taken cautiously.

Like other studies we found that physical exercise could modify the components of the stretch reflex and the size of the MEP (Casabona et al. 1990; Nielsen et al. 1993; Trimble and Koceja 1994; Mortimer and Webster 1983). However, our study is to our knowledge the first one that can reject the confounding factor of genetic predisposition.

At this point it is not clear what the influence of fatigue (Gandevia 1998) is on the differential changes in between the components of the stretch reflex results. This should be investigated further.

A change in the M3 component of the stretch reflex can be caused by several reasons, such as a change in gamma drive, presynatic or postsynaptic inhibition. Therefore we compared changes in the different components of the stretch reflex (M1 versus M3). A differential modification of the M1 versus M3 component indicates, most probably, that changes are originating from different neural structures than the ones involved in the monosynaptic reflex arc. Only two participants showed both a decrease in M3 and in the plateau phase of the MEP. This might be due to the complex relation between those two very different techniques in evaluating the cortical drive. However, the results indicate that one adaptation strategy for the balance board could be a decreased motor cortical influence, maybe to prevent overcompensation while balancing.

Discussion Board

Any Comment to this presentation?

[ABSTRACT] [INTRODUCTION] [METHODS] [RESULTS] [FIGURES] [CONCLUSION & DISCUSSION] [REFERENCES] [Discussion Board]

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	[Neuroscience]	[Physiology]	[Neurology]	[Physical Therapeutics & Rehabilitation]

Johan Van Doornik, Dimitris Patikas, Daniel Olivier, Gabriella Cerri, Michel Ladouceur, Jens Bo Nielsen, Thomas Sinkjaer
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Last update: 11/02/00