Long-loop reflexes for assessment of the effects of rehabilitation on postural responses in stroke patients

Abstract EN

The purpose of this study was to investigate the changes that take place in the late responses (long loop reflexes) in response to translation perturbations in hemiplegic patients and the influence of rehabilitation on modulating these changes.

The study was conducted on 26 hemiplegics (group I) and 13 matching normal control subjects (group II).

Four lower limb muscles were studied: rectus femoris, tibialis anterior, gastrocnemius and medial hamstrings.

Three parameters of long loop reflexes were analysed, namely: onset latency, peak latency and integrated EMG activity.

Peak latency was the parameter that correlated significantly with the different periods of rehabilitation program.

Prior to rehabilitation, integrated EMG activity showed a significant difference between normal and affected limbs in hemiplegic patients and also, generally, in hemiplegic limbs as compared to controls.

Also, onset latency showed statistically significant differences in 3 out of the 4 studied muscles.

These changes disappeared after 6 months of rehabilitation program reflecting the adaptational effects of rehabilitation on the long loop reflexes parameters