Cronin N J, Valtonen A M, Waller B, Pöyhönen T, Avela J
University of Jyvaskyla, Neuromuscular Research Center, Department of Biology of Physical Activity, Finland.
J Musculoskelet Neuronal Interact. 2016 Mar;16(1):58-62.
Reflex excitability is increased in hemiplegic patients compared to healthy controls. One challenge of stroke rehabilitation is to decrease the effects of hyperreflexia, which may be possible with water immersion. Methods/Aims: The present study examined the effects of acute water immersion on electrically-evoked Hmax:Mmax ratios (a measure of reflex excitability) in 7 hyperreflexive hemiplegic patients and 7 age-matched healthy people. Hmax:Mmax ratios were measured from soleus on dry land (L1), immediately after (W1) and 5 minutes after immersion (W5), and again after five minutes on land (L5).
Water immersion led to an acute increase in Hmax:Mmax ratio in both groups. However, after returning to dry land, there was a non-significant decrease in the Hmax:Mmax ratio of 8% in the hemiplegic group and 10% in healthy controls compared to pre-immersion values.
A short period of water immersion can decrease peripheral reflex excitability after returning to dry land in both healthy controls and post-stroke patients, although longer immersion periods may be required for sustainable effects. Water immersion may offer promise as a low-risk, non-invasive and non-pharmaceutical method of decreasing hyperreflexivity, and could thus support aquatic rehabilitation following stroke.
与健康对照者相比，偏瘫患者的反射兴奋性增加。中风康复的一个挑战是减轻反射亢进的影响，而水浸可能有助于实现这一点。方法/目的：本研究检测了急性水浸对7名反射亢进的偏瘫患者和7名年龄匹配的健康人电诱发的Hmax:Mmax比值（一种反射兴奋性指标）的影响。在陆地上（L1）、浸水后即刻（W1）、浸水5分钟后（W5）以及回到陆地5分钟后（L5）测量比目鱼肌的Hmax:Mmax比值。
水浸导致两组的Hmax:Mmax比值急性增加。然而，回到陆地后，与浸水前相比，偏瘫组的Hmax:Mmax比值无显著下降，下降了8%，健康对照组下降了10%。
短时间水浸可使健康对照者和中风后患者回到陆地后外周反射兴奋性降低，不过可能需要更长的浸水时间才能产生持续效果。水浸有望成为一种降低反射亢进的低风险、非侵入性且非药物的方法，从而为中风后的水上康复提供支持。
