Loss of independent limb control in childhood hemiparesis is related to time of brain injury onset

• Published in: Experimental brain research Vol. 225; no. 3; pp. 455 - 463
• Main Authors: Sukal-Moulton, Theresa, Murray, Theresa M., Dewald, Julius P. A.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Berlin/Heidelberg Springer-Verlag 01.03.2013; Springer; Springer Nature B.V
• Subjects: Adolescent; Age; Analysis of Variance; Artificial limbs; Biological and medical sciences; Biomechanical Phenomena; Biomedical and Life Sciences; Biomedicine; Birth; Brain; Brain Injuries - physiopathology; Brain injury; Brain research; Cerebral palsy; Child; Children; Complications and side effects; Cortex; Diagnosis; Elbow; Elbow Joint - innervation; Electromyography; Extremities - physiopathology; Female; Functional Laterality - physiology; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Headache. Facial pains. Syncopes. Epilepsia. Intracranial hypertension. Brain oedema. Cerebral palsy; Hemiplegia; Humans; Imitative Behavior - physiology; Injuries; Joints; Limbs; Male; Medical sciences; Movement - physiology; Muscles; Nervous system; Nervous system (semeiology, syndromes); Neurology; Neurosciences; Paresis; Paresis - physiopathology; Physiological aspects; Research Article; Risk factors; Traumatic brain injury; Vertebrates: nervous system and sense organs; United States; United States > US; Chicago Illinois; Cerebral palsy; Childhood hemiparesis; Arm coordination; Mirror movements; Childhood hemiplegia; Nervous system diseases; Central nervous system disease; Central nervous system; Lesion; Cerebral disorder; Encephalon
• ISSN: 0014-4819; 1432-1106
• DOI: 10.1007/s00221-012-3385-0

This study investigated the presence of inter-limb activity at the elbow joint in individuals with childhood-onset hemiparesis, including spontaneous mirror movements during unilateral tasks and the ability to suppress them during bilateral tasks. Eighteen individuals with hemiparesis were divided into three categories of injury timing: before birth (PRE-natal), around the time of birth (PERI-natal), and after 6 months of age (POST-natal). Individuals with hemiparesis, as well as 12 typically developing peers, participated in unilateral and bilateral elbow flexion and extension tasks completed at maximal and submaximal effort while muscle activity was monitored and motor output was quantified by two multiple degrees-of-freedom load cells. Significantly, higher levels of paretic elbow flexion were found only in the PRE- and PERI-natal groups during the flexion of the non-paretic limb, which was modulated by effort level in both unilateral and bilateral tasks. The bilateral activation of elbow flexors in the PRE-/PERI-natal groups indicates potential use of a common cortical command source to drive both upper extremities, while the POST-natal/typically developing groups’ flexors appear to receive input from different supraspinal structures.