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Myofascial trigger points alter the modular control during the execution of a reaching task: a pilot study
Tommaso Geri1, Leonardo Gizzi2, Anna Di Marco3
1Department of Neuroscience, Rehabilitation, Ophthalmology, Genetics, Maternal and Child Health (DINOGMI), University of Genova, Campus of Savona, Genova, Italy. tommaso.geri@gmail.com.
Scientific Reports
|November 7, 2019
Summary
Myofascial trigger points (TP) alter motor control by increasing muscle weighting coefficients in dominant arm movements. This suggests a change in how the brain organizes muscle activity during reaching tasks, even without increased co-contraction.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Kinesiology
- Biomedical Engineering
Background:
- Myofascial trigger points (TP) present a challenge in understanding their origins and clinical impact.
- Previous research indicates TPs increase muscle activity, but their effect on modular motor control during dynamic tasks remains largely unknown.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the influence of active and latent myofascial trigger points on modular motor control during a reaching task.
- To determine if TPs affect muscle activation patterns and motor module weighting coefficients.
Main Methods:
- Electromyographic (EMG) signals were recorded from shoulder and upper arm muscles during a reaching task.
- Non-Negative Matrix Factorization (NMF) decomposed EMG signals into motor modules and activation patterns.
- Manual examination identified latent and active TPs in muscles, which were then classified as dominant or non-dominant.
Main Results:
- Muscles with active TPs exhibited increased weighting coefficients in the dominant condition, despite similar overall muscle activity.
- No significant alterations in motor control were observed in the non-dominant condition.
- The dimensionality of motor modules and reciprocal inhibition were not affected by TPs.
Conclusions:
- Myofascial trigger points appear to alter modular motor control by modifying muscle weighting coefficients in a task-dependent manner (dominant vs. non-dominant).
- These changes occur without necessarily increasing co-contraction or affecting the fundamental structure of motor modules.
- This study provides preliminary evidence for TPs impacting motor control strategies during functional movements.
