Antagonist muscle activity during reactive balance responses is elevated in Parkinson's disease and in balance impairment.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Abnormal antagonist leg muscle activity could indicate increased muscle co-contraction and clarify mechanisms of balance impairments in Parkinson's disease (PD). Prior studies in carefully selected patients showed PD patients demonstrate earlier, longer, and larger antagonist muscle activation during reactive balance responses to perturbations.

Research question

Here, we tested whether antagonist leg muscle activity was abnormal in a group of PD patients who were not selected for phenotype and most of whom had volunteered for exercise-based rehabilitation.

Methods

We compared antagonist activation during reactive balance responses to multidirectional support-surface translation perturbations in 31 patients with mild-moderate PD (age 68±9; H&Y 1-3; UPDRS-III

SUBMITTER: Lang KC 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6347183 | biostudies-literature | 2019

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature