Voluntary supraspinal suppression of spinal reflex activity in paralyzed muscles of spinal cord injury patients

Abstract

Having previously demonstrated that residual facilitatory brain influence on segmental structures occurs in paralyzed spinal cord injury patients, we sought evidence of suprasegmental suppression in such patients. By recording EMG activity from leg muscles, we studied changes in segmental excitability of the plantar reflex elicited by cutaneous stimulation of the plantar surface. Using surface EMG recordings, 50 paralyzed spinal cord injury patients were examined for their ability to volitionally suppress the plantar reflex on three repeated trials after three baseline trials. The patients, who had no voluntary EMG activity in the monitored muscles, were able to volitionally suppress the plantar reflex responses by 45% in the tibialis anterior, hamstring, and triceps surae muscles and to suppress the quadriceps response by 72%. In this patient group, 73 of 100 tibialis anterior muscle groups showed suppression of more than 20% compared with the control response. On reexamination, these findings were consistent during a period of 2 years in six patients. We conclude that suprasegmental suppression of segmental activity does occur in paralyzed spinal cord injury patients, and that in clinically complete patients, neurological evaluation should include assessment of the degree of preservation of suprasegmental neurocontrol on segmental activity below the lesion.