Co-activity during maximum voluntary contraction: a study of four lower-extremity muscles in children with and
Kristina Tedroff1, Loretta M Knutson, Gary L Soderberg
1Neuropediatric Unit, Astrid Lindgren Children's Hospital, Karolinska University Hospital, Department of Woman and Child Health, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden. kristina.tedroff@ki.se
Insights
Children with cerebral palsy (CP) exhibit greater muscle co-activity in non-prime mover muscles during maximal voluntary isometric contractions (MVIC). This increased co-activity, particularly in antagonist and adjacent muscles, may explain weakness and abnormal movement patterns in CP.
Area of Science:
- Neurology
- Biomedical Engineering
- Pediatrics
Background:
- Cerebral palsy (CP) is a group of disorders affecting movement and posture, often characterized by muscle weakness and abnormal movement patterns.
- Understanding the neuromuscular control mechanisms in children with CP is crucial for developing effective interventions.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate whether children with cerebral palsy (CP) demonstrate increased muscle co-activity in non-prime mover muscles compared to typically developing children during maximal voluntary isometric contractions (MVIC).
Main Methods:
- Surface electromyography (sEMG) was used to record muscle activity from four lower-extremity muscles (vastus lateralis, medial hamstrings, tibialis anterior, lateral gastrocnemius) during MVIC.
- Participants included children with spastic diplegic CP, spastic hemiplegic CP, and age-matched typically developing children.
Main Results:
- Children with CP exhibited significantly higher co-activity in both antagonist and adjacent non-prime mover muscles compared to the control group.
- This heightened co-activity was particularly pronounced when the vastus lateralis, medial hamstrings, or lateral gastrocnemius muscles were the prime movers during MVIC.
Conclusions:
- Increased muscle co-activity in children with CP may contribute to observed muscle weakness and atypical motor behaviors.
- These findings have significant implications for physical therapy and rehabilitation strategies aimed at improving motor function in children with CP.
Abstract:
This study was designed to determine whether children with cerebral palsy (CP) showed more co-activity than comparison children in non-prime mover muscles with regard to the prime mover during maximum voluntary isometric contraction (MVIC) of four lower-extremity muscles. Fourteen children with spastic diplegic CP (10 males, four females; age range 4-10y), seven children with spastic hemiplegic CP (five males, two females; age range 5-10y), and 14 comparison children (eight males, six females; age range 4-11y) participated in the study. Gross Motor Function Classification System levels of the children with CP were as follows: eight children at Level I, seven children at Level II, five children at Level III, and one child at Level I V. Surface electromyographic recordings were made simultaneously from the vastus lateralis (VL), medial hamstrings (MH), tibialis anterior, and lateral gastrocnemius (LG) muscles during maximal voluntary contraction. Children with CP showed higher co-activity than the comparison children in both antagonist and adjacent muscles. This was particularly true when VL, MH, or LG muscles were engaged in MVIC. These findings may contribute to the weakness and abnormal movement patterns seen in CP, and they have implications for treatment.
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