Date on Master's Thesis/Doctoral Dissertation
5-2024
Document Type
Master's Thesis
Degree Name
M.S.
Department
Health and Sport Sciences
Degree Program
Exercise Physiology, MS
Committee Chair
Jaggers, Jason
Committee Co-Chair (if applicable)
Harman, Kathryn
Committee Member
Harman, Kathryn
Committee Member
Castillo, Camilo
Author's Keywords
motor complete spinal cord injury; muscle activation; lower limbs; leg cycling
Abstract
Spinal cord injury (SCI) affects the central nervous system (CNS) causing muscle paralysis and autonomic dysfunctions throughout the body. Muscle activation after SCI is essential to facilitate functional recovery and may be produced via remaining input from supraspinal centers, the central pattern generators (CPG), or muscle stretch reflex responses. In this study, assisted leg cycling is evaluated as a tool to identify the neural structure control of muscle activation after motor complete SCI. Eight individuals with a complete or sensory incomplete SCI between C2 and T5 participated in the study. Participants completed leg cycling trials with and without supraspinal intention and at five different cadences. Surface electromyographic (EMG) signals were recorded bilaterally from the lower limb muscles and analyzed for EMG entrainment. The results show significant relationships between leg cycling cadence and supraspinal input with EMG entrainment in some, but not all muscles.
Recommended Citation
Fish, Jae, "Control of muscle activation in the lower limbs during leg cycling after a motor complete spinal cord injury." (2024). Electronic Theses and Dissertations. Paper 4310.
https://doi.org/10.18297/etd/4310
