H‐reflexes reduce fatigue of evoked contractions after spinal cord injury

Abstract

Neuromuscular electrical stimulation (NMES) over a muscle belly (mNMES) generates contractions predominantly through M-waves, while NMES over a nerve trunk (nNMES) can generate contractions through H-reflexes in people who are neurologically intact. We tested whether the differences between mNMES and nNMES are present in people with chronic motor-complete spinal cord injury and, if so, whether they influence contraction fatigue. Plantar-flexion torque and soleus electromyography were recorded from 8 participants. Fatigue protocols were delivered using mNMES and nNMES on separate days. nNMES generated contractions that fatigued less than mNMES. Torque decreased the least when nNMES generated contractions, at least partly through H-reflexes (n = 4 participants; 39% decrease), and torque decreased the most when contractions were generated through M-waves, regardless of NMES site (nNMES 71% decrease, n = 4; mNMES, 73% decrease, n = 8). nNMES generates contractions that fatigue less than mNMES, but only when H-reflexes contribute to the evoked contractions.