Authors: Hugo MasséAlarie LouisDavid Beaulieu Richard Preuss Cyril Schneider
Publish Date: 2015/12/26
Volume: 234, Issue: 4, Pages: 1033-1045
Abstract
Chronic low back pain CLBP is often associated with impaired control of deep trunk muscles and reorganization of the primary motor areas M1 Precisely functional changes of the lumbar multifidus muscles MF involved in spine stability may be of special interest in rehabilitation Therefore we tested MF corticomotor control using double transcranial magnetic stimulation TMS paradigms for the first time in this muscle and examined its link with MF volitional activation Eleven individuals with lateralized CLBP and 13 painfree participants were recruited Ultrasound imaging enabled measurement of MF volitional isometric contraction in prone lying TMS of MF M1 area was used to test hemispheric excitability and mechanisms in relation to motor programming ie active motor threshold AMT amplitude of motorevoked potentials and shortinterval intracortical inhibition SICI and facilitation SICF In CLBP SICI level was lower in the left hemisphere and MF volitional contraction was not related to AMT M1 excitability conversely to what was observed in the painfree group No other betweengroup difference was detected These original findings support a plasticity of cortical maps controlling paravertebral muscles and likely including a different motor strategy for the control of MF Changes of M1 function may thus underlie impaired motor control of lumbopelvic spine and pain persistence in CLBPThe authors acknowledge the support of the Canadian Foundation for Innovation CS equipment the Fonds de Recherche en Santé du Québec HMA and LDB PhD studentship the Canadian Institute for Health Research HMA PhD studentship Université Laval HMA PhD studentship and Ms Mélaine Henry for recruitment and study coordination
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