Trunk use and co-contraction in cerebral palsy as regulatory mechanisms for accuracy control
Publication year
2005Source
Neuropsychologia, 43, 4, (2005), pp. 497-508ISSN
Publication type
Article / Letter to editor
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Organization
SW OZ DCC CO
Former Organization
SW OZ NICI CO
Journal title
Neuropsychologia
Volume
vol. 43
Issue
iss. 4
Page start
p. 497
Page end
p. 508
Subject
Action, intention, and motor controlAbstract
In this study we examined whether (1) an increased trunk involvement, and (2) increases in co-contraction of antagonistic muscles around the elbow and shoulder joint are mechanisms used to deal with increases in accuracy constraints in participants with cerebral palsy (CP). Four adolescents with spastic hemiparesis, four adolescents with spastic tetraparesis, and four healthy control participants were asked to repeatedly move a spoon, either empty or filled with water (manipulation of accuracy), between two targets positioned within reach in the sagittal plane. Movement speed was controlled by means of a metronome. In half the trials trunk motion was blocked. Data analyses focussed on the sagittal displacement of the trunk and on the co-contraction of two muscle pairs (brachioradialis/triceps and deltoid anterior/deltoid posterior). No effects of accuracy constraints on the displacement of the trunk were found. However, co-contraction at the shoulder joint increased, for all groups, when the spoon was filled with water. Trunk fixation yielded differential group effects with regard to co-contraction. Control participants increased and hemiparetic participants decreased the co-contraction at the shoulder when trunk motion was blocked. Trunk fixation had no effect on the co-contraction at the shoulder for the tetraparetic participants. Collectively, our findings suggest that increasing co-contraction at the shoulder joint is a regulatory mechanism that individuals with CP use to deal with increases in accuracy constraints, while trunk involvement is not. Co-contraction in individuals with CP is at least in part an adaptive regulatory mechanism, rather than being a sole reflection of the pathology.
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- Academic publications [238441]
- Electronic publications [122543]
- Faculty of Social Sciences [29483]
- Open Access publications [97534]
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