Article

Postactivation depression is decreased in patients with spasticity and partially
restored by physical exercise in spinal cord injured patients.
Up until now, the
possibility to modulate postactivation depression with motor training has never
been explored in subjects with spasticity following brain lesions. Postactivation
depression, assessed as frequency related depression of soleus H-reflex, was
investigated before and after robotic-assisted gait training in a group of seven
subjects with spastic hemiparesis following hemispheric stroke. Patients received
three sessions per week of robotic-assisted gait training for a period of 4 weeks
(12 sessions in total). Postactivation depression was measured before the
treatment (T0), after the first session (T1) and after the last session (T2).
Postactivation depression was quantified as the ratio between H-reflex amplitude
at 1 Hz and at 0.1 Hz. The greater the 1 Hz/0.1 Hz ratio, the smaller the
postactivation depression. Following robotic-assisted gait training, the 1 Hz/0.1
Hz ratio decreased from 0.79+/-0.26 at T0 to 0.56+/-0.18 at T1 and 0.58+/-0.13 at
T2. Post hoc analysis showed a significant difference between T0 and T1 and
between T0 and T2, stating an increase of postactivation depression. No
significant differences were found between T1 and T2.
This study provides the
first demonstration that physical exercise can determine a partial normalization
of postactivation depression in hemiparetic patients with spasticity following
unilateral hemispheric stroke.
CI - Copyright (c) 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Langue : ANGLAIS