Evaluation of the Visual Motor Task's Impact on the Behavior of a Neuronal and Spinal Network in Hemiplegic Patients

Half of all stroke patients have physical disabilities. These disabilities combine sensory and motor deficiencies (control deficit, syncinesia, tone disorders) that cause disruption of upper extremity (UE) function (orientation, UE length adjustment and grip). The human spinal cord circuitry (HSCC) participate in the motion regulation. Roche et al. studied in healthy subjects the HSCC modifications during the visuo-motor regulation of the object clamping force by the hand. The authors showed that the learning of the task in a single session was associated with HSCC modifications, specific or not depending on the HSCC and according to a visual biofeedback associated or not to the task. Diserens et al. showed also that a rhythmic movement of UE pedaling causes a decrease in spasticity in hemiplegic subjects. Moreover, HSCC modification is dependent on the task performed. The rhythmic ball-bouncing in a virtual environment is a visuo-motor task rhythmic kinematic already studied in the healthy subject. To our knowledge, the present study is the first to investigate HSCC modification in hemiplegic subjects performing a rhythmic kinematic task with UE. We hypothesize that such a task leads to HSCC excitability specific modifications in the cervical spinal cord and leads to an improvement in the motor capabilities of the subjects.

The general objective being to determine the modifications nature induced by UE kinematic rhythmic task realization on cervical HSCC, our research will be broken down into four studies.

Study 1 will identify the influence of visual feedback on changes in HSCC excitability in a voluntary group. In this first study, 16 voluntary subjects will perform the visuo-motor task with their dominant UE and the control task (without visual feedback) with their dominant UE.

Study 2 will investigate the impact of UE laterality which performing the task on changes in HSCC excitability in a voluntary group. In this second study, 16 volunteer subjects will perform the visuo-motor task with their dominant UE and the visuo-motor task with their non-dominant UE.

Study 3 will objectify the effect of the type of contraction of the muscles involved in the task on changes in HSCC excitability in a volunteer group. In this third study, 16 voluntary subjects will perform the visuo-motor task with their dominant UE by performing either elbow flexion-extension or only flexion-extension of the wrist.