Assessing neuromuscular plasticity associated with rhythmic arm and leg cycling by means of spinal reflex pathways evaluation in chronic stroke

• Grant number: 15/00367-7
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships abroad - Research Internship - Scientific Initiation
• Start date: February 28, 2015
• End date: June 27, 2015
• Field of knowledge: Engineering - Biomedical Engineering - Bioengineering
• Principal Investigator: Fernando Henrique Magalhães
• Grantee: Jéssica Rodriguez Lara
• Supervisor: E. Paul Zehr
• Host Institution: Escola de Artes, Ciências e Humanidades (EACH). Universidade de São Paulo (USP). São Paulo , SP, Brazil
• Institution abroad: University of Victoria (UVic), Canada
• Associated to the scholarship: 13/16276-5 - Evaluation of inhibitory spinal pathways in introverts and extroverts, BP.IC

Abstract

Thanks to advances in the knowledge on spinal circuits and to the development of electrophysiological techniques such as the assessment of H-reflex through paired-pulse stimulation, it is possible to employ non-invasive protocols to selectively explore the transmission within a variety of human spinal cord pathways so as to investigate the possible role of specific spinal mechanisms on a variety of motor contexts. The research under development in Brazil (EACH-USP) aims at evaluating, through the H-reflex of the soleus muscle conditioned by stimuli applied to the common peroneal nerve (i.e. the nerve associated with the antagonist muscle, tibialis anterior), the levels of excitability of spinal inhibitory pathways in introverts and extroverts subjects. The objective of the present proposal is to improve the student's expertise (i.e. technical skills and theoretical knowledge) on stretch reflex assessments. Therefore, this proposal consists in getting involved with the ongoing research in the Rehabilitation Neuroscience Laboratory (RehabNeuroLab) at the University of Victoria, Canada (School of Exercise Science, Physical, and Health Education), headed by Professor E. Paul Zehr. The student will attend the University of Victoria, as an occupational trainee on ongoing research projects that involve the investigation of reflex modulation as a function of neuroplasticity and that are currently in execution in the RehabNeuroLab. This period will provide the student with direct experience in the techniques of acquisition and analysis of neurophysiological data obtained in human experiments, which will contribute significantly to the development of the current research project in Brazil. Additionally, this initial contact will provide the student with the opportunity to continue on some of these projects (and/or related issues) in the future. (AU)