The Soleus H-Reflex as a Biomarker of Post-Injury Spasticity in Spinal Cord Injury: A Conceptual Pilot Study.
Héloise Bourgeois, Hélène Genet, Maureen MacMahon and 4 others
PMID 41307141WHAT IT FOUND
Early spinal reflex measures correlated with existing spasticity and motor strength at admission, but failed to predict new spasticity by discharge.
Reduced post-activation depression was associated with spasticity, yet the small sample prevents clinical use.
Key findings
01The Hmax/Mmax ratio correlated with clonus and motor strength at admission but showed no significant correlation with Modified Ashworth Scale scores.
02Participants who developed spasticity showed significantly less post-activation depression (PAD) at admission compared to those who did not.
03The study could not assess the predictive value of these measures for spasticity development during rehabilitation.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for PTsWhat it means for OTs
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What it does not show
Small sample size (17 participants) with wide variation in injury level and severity. H-reflexes could not be elicited in 6 participants, likely due to spinal shock. No long-term follow-up beyond discharge from subacute rehab. Medication effects on spinal excitability were not controlled for. Clinical assessments were routine and may have had variable documentation.
Declared interests
The authors declared no conflicts of interest. Funding details are not explicitly stated in the provided text, but the study was conducted in a rehabilitation center context.
The easy way to misread this
Do not interpret the association between reduced PAD and spasticity as evidence that this measure can predict spasticity onset. The study explicitly states predictive value could not be assessed, and the sample is too small and heterogeneous for clinical application.
Summarised by AI from the full paper, without a clinician reviewing it. Check it against the source before it changes what you do. Read it on PubMed →