The soleus H-reflex modulation pattern was measured in 8 normal and 8 spastic paretic subjects during standing and walking, under the conditions of 0% and 40% body weight support (BWS). In standing, both the normal and patient groups showed no significant difference (p $<$ 0.01) in the H-reflex amplitude between 0% and 40% BWS. Normal subjects had a phase dependent modulation of the H-reflex during gait, there being no significant difference (p $<$ 0.001) in this modulation with 40% BWS. The patients had an abnormally elevated H-reflex throughout the step cycle, although five showed some modulation. In the patient group, 40% BWS produced a decrease of the H-reflex amplitude mainly in the push-off phase. BWS produced a decrease in electromyographic (EMG) mean burst amplitude of the lower limb muscles investigated, with more appropriate EMG activity timing. BWS improved knee and ankle angular displacements in patients, which were associated with an improved locomotor pattern. However, these improvements in locomotor pattern were not reflected clearly by changes in the H-reflex modulations. Thus the relationship between H-reflex amplitude, EMG activity, and ankle position under 0% and 40% BWS, needs to be further investigated.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:LACETR/oai:collectionscanada.gc.ca:QMM.59826 |
| Date | January 1990 |
| Creators | Blunt, Robert A. (Robert Andrew) |
| Publisher | McGill University |
| Source Sets | Library and Archives Canada ETDs Repository / Centre d'archives des thèses électroniques de Bibliothèque et Archives Canada |
| Language | English |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Electronic Thesis or Dissertation |
| Format | application/pdf |
| Coverage | Master of Science (School of Physical and Occupational Therapy.) |
| Rights | All items in eScholarship@McGill are protected by copyright with all rights reserved unless otherwise indicated. |
| Relation | alephsysno: 001126938, proquestno: AAIMM66436, Theses scanned by UMI/ProQuest. |
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