Passive activity enhances residual control ability in patients with complete spinal cord injury

NEURAL REGENERATION RESEARCH, 2025 · DOI: https://doi.org/10.4103/NRR.NRR-D-23-01812 · Published: August 1, 2025

Simple Explanation

Patients with complete spinal cord injury may still have some ability to move muscles below the injury level. However, these muscles may not be easily activated due to inactivity. This study shows that a short period of passive movement can help patients with complete spinal cord injury to better activate their muscles. The results suggest passive activity might help in improving remaining motor control for individuals with complete spinal cord injuries.

Study Duration

March 2020 until December 2022

Participants

11 patients with chronic complete thoracic spinal cord injury

Evidence Level

Not specified

Key Findings

1
Passive activity increased the number of volitional muscles that could be activated.
2
Passive activity increased how often the muscles were activated.
3
Passive activity led to a slight increase in sEMG amplitude, though not statistically significant.

Research Summary

The study investigated the effect of passive activity on surface electromyographic signals during volitional control tasks among individuals with complete spinal cord injury. The results indicated that the passive activity led to an increased number of activated volitional muscles and an increased frequency of activation. Brief passive activity may enhance the ability to initiate volitional muscle activity and improve residual motor control among patients with motor complete spinal cord injury.

Practical Implications

Enhanced sensitivity in assessing residual control ability

Volitional EMG signals following brief passive activity, we can increase the sensitivity in evaluating the residual control ability of patients with complete SCI. The EMG response observed after passive activity can serve as a reliable indicator to more precisely assess the level of residual control ability.

Integration of active voluntary training after passive joint activity

Immediate integration of active voluntary training after passive joint activity can effectively increase the overall activation frequency of muscle channels, with minimal impact on muscle amplitude.

Further research needed

There is an urgent need for further research to explore the long-term implications of passive activity on active rehabilitation outcomes.

Study Limitations

1
The study observed no substantial changes were detected in sEMG amplitude, indicating that brief passive exercise may have a limited impact on the activation of spinal cord circuits.
2
Changes in residual motor control can only be inferred based on the overall alterations in muscle channels observed after passive activity.
3
Interpreting the results of this study is limited by the relatively small sample size, which may affect its reliability and generalizability.

Your Feedback

Was this summary helpful?

Back to Spinal Cord Injury