In this thesis sensorimotor integration in the human spinal cord was investigated in the intact (Chapters 2 and 3) and injured nervous systems (Chapter 4-stroke; Chapter 5-spinal cord injury (SCI)). In Chapter 2, I characterized a short-latency reflex pathway between sensory receptors of the lower leg and the erector spinae (ES) muscles of the lower back that may play a role in the maintenance of posture and balance. The ES reflexes were evoked bilaterally by taps applied to the Achilles tendon and were modulated by task. Furthermore, these reflexes involved a larger contribution from cutaneous receptors in the lower limb, rather than muscle spindles. In Chapter 3, I investigated changes in reflex transmission along the H-reflex pathway throughout 10 s trains of neuromuscular electrical stimulation (NMES) using physiologically relevant frequencies (5-20 Hz) and during functionally relevant tasks (sitting and standing) and background contraction amplitudes (up to 20% MVC). The results of this study revealed strong post-activation depression of reflex amplitudes, followed by significant recovery during the stimulation, both of which were influenced by stimulation frequency and background contraction amplitude, but not task. During 10 Hz stimulation, reflex amplitudes showed complete recovery (i.e. back to their initial values), and at times, complete recovery occurred by the third reflex in the train. These results demonstrate that transmission along the H-reflex pathway is modulated continuously during periods of repetitive input. In Chapters 4 and 5, I studied the extent to which a novel stimulation protocol that incorporated wide pulse widths (1 ms) and high frequencies (up to 100 Hz) (wide-pulse NMES; WP-NMES), could enhance electrically-evoked contractions through a central contribution in individuals with stroke or SCI. This central effect arises from the electrical activation of sensory axons, which in turn, reflexively recruit motoneurons in the spinal cord. After stroke, contractions evoked by WP-NMES were larger in the paretic arm than the non-paretic arm. After SCI, transmission along the H-reflex pathway was observed throughout trains of WP-NMES; direct evidence of a central contribution. These results suggest that maximizing the central contribution during WP-NMES may be useful for maintaining muscle quality after neurological injury.

Thesis (D. Music)--Northwestern University, 2006. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 132-136).

Thesis (Ph. D.)--Mechanical Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology, 2008. / Committee Chair: Steve M. Potter; Committee Member: Eric Schumacher; Committee Member: Robert J. Butera; Committee Member: Stephan P. DeWeerth; Committee Member: Thomas D. DeMarse.

Thesis (Ph. D)--Northeastern University, 2008. / Title from title page (viewed March 25, 2009). Graduate School of Arts and Sciences, Dept. of Psychology. Includes bibliographical references (p. 154-161).

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of California, San Diego, 1999. / Vita. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 86-90).

Thesis (Ph. D.)--Miami University, Dept. of Zoology, 2005. / Title from second page of PDF document. Includes bibliographical references (p. 100-108).

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Washington, 2002. / Vita. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 102-125).

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of California, San Diego, 2008. / Title from first page of PDF file (viewed June 1, 2009). Available via ProQuest Digital Dissertations. Vita. Includes bibliographical references (p. 124-131).

Thesis (Ph. D)--University of Oregon, 2005. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 89-94). Also available online (PDF file) by a subscription to the set or by purchasing the individual file.

Thesis (M.Sc.)--University of Alberta, 2010. / A thesis submitted to the Faculty of Graduate Studies and Research in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Science in Speech-Language Pathology, Department of Speech Pathology and Audiology. Title from pdf file main screen (viewed on July 25, 2010). Includes bibliographical references.