Abstract
Objective
This study sought to investigate the influence of spinal dysfunction and spinal manipulation
on the response of the central nervous system to a motor training task.
Methods
The dual peripheral nerve stimulation somatosensory evoked potential (SEP) ratio technique
was used in 11 subjects before and after a 20-minute typing task and again when the
typing task was preceded with cervical spine manipulation. Somatosensory evoked potentials
were recorded after median and ulnar nerve stimulation at the wrist (1 millisecond
square wave pulse, 2.47 Hz, 1× motor threshold). The SEP ratios were calculated for
the N9, N11, N13, P14-18, N20-P25, and P22-N30 peak complexes from SEP amplitudes
obtained from simultaneous median and ulnar (MU) stimulation divided by the arithmetic
sum of SEPs obtained from individual stimulation of the median (M) and ulnar (U) nerves.
Results
There was a significant increase in the MU/M+U ratio for both cortical (ie, N20-P25
and P22-N30) SEP components after the 20-minute repetitive contraction task. This
did not occur when the motor training task was preceded with spinal manipulation.
Instead, there was a significant decrease in the MU/M+U ratio for the cortical P22-N30
SEP component. The ratio changes appear to be due to changes in the ability to suppress
the dual input as concurrent changes in the MU amplitudes were observed.
Discussion
This study suggests that cervical spine manipulation not only alters cortical integration
of dual somatosensory input but also alters the way the central nervous system responds
to subsequent motor training tasks.
Conclusion
These findings may help to clarify the mechanisms responsible for the effective relief
of pain and restoration of functional ability documented after spinal manipulation
and the mechanism involved in the initiation of overuse injuries.
Key Indexing Terms
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Article info
Publication history
Accepted:
December 29,
2009
Received in revised form:
December 20,
2009
Received:
May 9,
2009
Footnotes
This study was conducted in the Human Neurophysiology and Rehabilitation Laboratory at the Department of Sport and Exercise Science, University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand.
Identification
Copyright
© 2010 National University of Health Sciences. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
