title: Slowed down: response time deficits in well-recovered subjects with incomplete spinal cord injury.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To quantify remaining motor deficits in well-recovered subjects with incomplete spinal cord injury.
  
  
  METHODS
  Case-control study.
  
  
  METHODS
  Spinal cord injury center of a university hospital.
  
  
  METHODS
  Out of a volunteer sample, we recruited 15 subjects with incomplete paraplegia (mean age, 50y; 67% men; neurologic level from T4 to L4; mean time since injury, 6.3y) and close-to-normal walking pattern. They were compared with 15 age- and sex-matched controls.
  
  
  METHODS
  Not applicable.
  
  
  METHODS
  Response time and its 4 subparts, processing time, conduction time, motor time, and movement time. These were assessed with an electromyogram-supported lower-limb response time task and single-pulse transcranial magnetic stimulation to measure the motor-evoked potential latency of the M. tibialis anterior. In addition, participants were tested for lower-extremity muscle strength, gait capacity, visual acuity, and upper-extremity response time.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Well-recovered subjects with incomplete paraplegia still suffered from deficits in conduction and movement time, whereas their processing and motor times were essentially normal. In addition, these patients showed delayed movement times of the upper limb, even if their injury was located in the thoracic or lumbar region.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Well-recovered patients with incomplete paraplegia still experience difficulties with quick and accurate movements. Furthermore, combining transcranial magnetic stimulation, electromyogram, and a response time task proved useful for investigating deficits in executing fast and accurate movements.
authors.affiliation: Spinal Cord Injury Center, Balgrist University Hospital, Zurich, Switzerland; Institute of Human Movement Sciences and Sport, ETH Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland; Pediatric Rehab Research Group, Rehabilitation Center, University Children's Hospital Zurich, Affoltern am Albis, Switzerland. Electronic address: rob.labruyere@kispi.uzh.ch.
authors.forename: Rob
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Labruyère
authors.forename: Marion
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Zimmerli
authors.forename: Hubertus J
authors.initials: HJ
authors.lastname: van Hedel
mesh_terms: D004576:Electromyography; D019054:Evoked Potentials, Motor / Q000502:physiology; D005260:Female; D005684:Gait / Q000502:physiology; D006785:Hospitals, University; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D018482:Muscle, Skeletal / Q000503:physiopathology; D010243:Paralysis / Q000209:etiology* / Q000503:physiopathology*; D011930:Reaction Time / Q000502:physiology; D013119:Spinal Cord Injuries / Q000150:complications*; D014792:Visual Acuity; D016138:Walking / Q000502:physiology
keywords: ASIA; American Spinal Injury Association; EMG; LED; MEP; MWUT; Mann-Whitney U test; Neurophysiology; Paraplegia; Reaction time; Rehabilitation; SCI; TA; TMS; TUG; Timed Up and Go Test; Transcranial magnetic stimulation; electromyogram; iSCI; incomplete SCI; light-emitting diode; motor-evoked potential; spinal cord injury; tibialis anterior; transcranial magnetic stimulation