Relation between muscle fiber conduction velocity and exerted dynamic characteristics of muscular tension in patients with hemiplegia caused by stroke.
Kenichi Murakami, Hiroyuki Fujisawa, Makoto Suzuki and 3 others
PMID 27821946WHAT IT FOUND
The affected leg in 13 people after stroke had slower electrical conduction in muscle fibers and weaker, slower ankle dorsiflexion force.
On the affected side, slower conduction tracked with weaker, slower force, but the unaffected side showed no such link.
Key findings
01The hemiplegic side had lower muscle fiber conduction velocity, maximum torque rate of change, maximum torque, and deep temperature than the non-hemiplegic side.
02On the hemiplegic side, muscle fiber conduction velocity was moderately positively correlated with maximum torque rate of change and maximum torque; on the non-hemiplegic side, these correlations were not significant.
03On the hemiplegic side, Brunnstrom Recovery Stage was strongly positively correlated with maximum torque rate of change and maximum torque, but not significantly correlated with muscle fiber conduction velocity.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for PTs
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What it does not show
Only 13 patients were studied, so the findings are preliminary and may not apply to other stroke populations. The participants had Brunnstrom Recovery Stages III to V and were 21.0 ± 14.9 days since onset, so people with other recovery stages or other times after stroke were not represented. The study excluded subtentorial lesions and higher brain dysfunction, and it did not include a healthy control group. Measurements focused on the tibialis anterior muscle and ankle dorsiflexion, so the results may not extend to other muscles, joints, or functional tasks such as walking. The study compared sides within patients and examined correlations; it did not test whether reduced muscle fiber conduction velocity causes weaker or slower force. No treatment was given, so the results cannot support claims that physical therapy or hyperthermia improves these measures.
The easy way to misread this
Do not conclude that reduced muscle fiber conduction velocity causes stroke-related movement problems, or that physical therapy can improve it. The study measured 13 patients at one time and did not test a treatment or prove cause.