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    Area of Science:

    • Neuroscience
    • Motor Control
    • Rehabilitation Science

    Background:

    • Stroke can disrupt the neural pathways controlling voluntary and involuntary movements.
    • Understanding how spinal motoneurons process neural information post-stroke is crucial for rehabilitation.
    • Previous research has not fully elucidated the differences in neural information processing during involuntary versus voluntary activation in stroke survivors.

    Purpose of the Study:

    • To investigate whether spinal motoneurons receive and transmit identical neural information during involuntary and voluntary muscle activation after stroke.
    • To compare motor unit (MU) activity and common synaptic input (CSI) between involuntary and voluntary contractions in stroke survivors.

    Main Methods:

    • High-density surface electromyography (HD-sEMG) recorded biceps brachii muscle activity in 14 stroke survivors and 10 controls.
    • Passive stretch (involuntary) and active contraction (voluntary) tasks were performed.
    • Motor unit (MU) discharge rate, variability, and motor unit action potential (MUAP) distribution were analyzed using decomposition algorithms.
    • Cross-correlation analysis quantified common synaptic input (CSI) to motoneurons.

    Main Results:

    • In stroke survivors, involuntary activation showed a higher MU discharge rate and lower discharge variability compared to voluntary activation.
    • Distinct motor unit action potential (MUAP) distribution patterns were observed between involuntary and voluntary activations.
    • Common synaptic input (CSI) was lower during involuntary activation than voluntary activation, with discharge variability positively correlated with CSI.

    Conclusions:

    • Neural information processing by spinal motoneurons differs significantly between involuntary and voluntary muscle activation post-stroke.
    • The findings suggest an unbalanced information flow between the supraspinal centers and the spinal cord following stroke.
    • Motor unit discharge during reflex activity appears to be more influenced by the intrinsic properties of spinal motoneurons than by descending brain commands.