2003 Director's Summary Synopsis

HUMAN NEUROPHYSIOLOGY STUDIES GUIDE DESIGN OF REHABILITATION INTERVENTIONS
Christine K. Thomas, Ph.D. • Edelle Field-Fote, Ph.D.

For many professionals working in the rehabilitation field, evidence-based practice has become the gold standard. New rehabilitation therapies must be tested and sufficient evidence obtained before they are incorporated into clinical use. To help in the development of new therapies or to determine their efficacy, studies in human neurophysiology are very important. This year, The Miami Project’s human neurophysiology findings provide further information to guide researchers in the design of therapies for both upper and lower extremity function.

Previous studies by Dr. Christine Thomas have characterized the severe weakness of triceps brachii muscles after human cervical injury. In her recent study, she showed that vibration of the triceps brachii tendon can improve the amount of force produced in some of these weak muscles. By applying a miniaturized vibrator to the tendon, Dr. Thomas theorizes that some individuals may improve their triceps brachii muscle function. She plans to further test this theory in future research.

Other findings from Dr. Field-Fote’s lab address how lower extremity movement is controlled. In ongoing studies, Dr. Field-Fote has been comparing body weight support gait training over ground or treadmill to determine which is most effective in improving lower extremity function. Researchers know that coordinated leg movements are regulated by a spinal mechanism that turns off a muscle while turning on a muscle that controls the opposite movement. When this mechanism is disrupted after SCI, muscles on both sides of a joint may contract at the same time leading to difficulty with movement. In this recent study, Dr. Field-Fote and colleagues describe how different types of stimulation strengthen this mechanism in non-disabled individuals. Research currently underway will characterize the mechanism after SCI and will likely have an impact on the design of future body weight support rehabilitation strategies for individuals with SCI.

Synopsis Publications

 Ribot-Ciscar E, Butler JE, Thomas CK (2003) Facilitation of triceps brachii muscle contraction by tendon vibration after chronic cervical spinal cord injury. J Appl Physiol 94:2358-2367.

 Perez MA, Field-Fote EC, Floeter MK (2003) Patterned sensory stimulation induces plasticity in reciprocal Ia inhibition in humans. J Neurosci 23:2014-2018.

 Perez MA, Field-Fote EC (2003) Impaired posture-dependent modulation of disynaptic reciprocal Ia inhibition in individuals with incomplete spinal cord injury. Neurosci Lett 341:225-228.