The University of Queensland, NHMRC Centre of Clinical Research Excellence in Spinal Pain, Injury and Health, School of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences, Brisbane, Qld, 4072, Australia.
Musculoskelet Sci Pract. 2023 Oct;67:102837. doi: 10.1016/j.msksp.2023.102837. Epub 2023 Aug 2.
Activity of specific neck muscles is modulated by eye movement. This activity modulation is exaggerated in people with whiplash associated disorders (WAD), but it is unknown whether it is impacted by sitting posture.
This study investigated; (i) whether activity of cervical muscles differs with spinal posture; (ii) whether the effect of eye gaze direction (horizontal/vertical) on neck muscle activity differs between postures, and (iii) whether these effects differ between individuals with and without WAD.
In three seated postures (normal relaxed, head forward, sit tall) electromyography (EMG) was recorded right obliquus capitis inferior (OI), multifidus (MF), splenius capitis (SP) and left sternocleidomastoid (SCM) with fine-wire and surface electrodes in ten healthy controls and nine with WAD. Electro-oculography recorded eye movements.
In controls, EMG was less for extensor muscles in Sit Tall than Head Forward, but higher in SCM. Only SC EMG modulated with eye movement. When WAD participants adopted similar sitting postures several responses were different; compared to Normal Relaxed posture OI EMG was less in Head Forward; MF EMG was less in Sit Tall; and SC was less in Head Forward and Sit Tall. Neck muscles in WAD were generally more sensitive to eye movement, except SC which did not modulate.
These finding support the hypothesis that neck muscle activity is influenced by spinal posture and eye movement. In WAD, this relationship is distorted and the response to eye movement is increased.
These observations have potential implications for clinical management of individuals with WAD.
特定颈部肌肉的活动会受到眼球运动的调节。这种活动调节在与挥鞭伤相关疾病（WAD）有关的人群中会被夸大，但尚不清楚其是否会受到坐姿的影响。
本研究调查了：（i）颈椎肌肉的活动是否会因脊柱姿势而有所不同；（ii）眼球注视方向（水平/垂直）对颈部肌肉活动的影响在不同姿势下是否存在差异，以及（iii）这些影响在 WAD 患者和非 WAD 患者之间是否存在差异。
在三种坐姿（正常放松、头部前倾、坐直）下，使用细电线和表面电极记录了 10 名健康对照者和 9 名 WAD 患者右侧下斜方肌（OI）、多裂肌（MF）、头夹肌（SP）和左侧胸锁乳突肌（SCM）的肌电图（EMG）。眼电图记录眼球运动。
在对照组中，与头部前倾相比，坐直时伸肌的 EMG 较小，但 SCM 的 EMG 较高。只有 SCM 的 EMG 随眼球运动而调节。当 WAD 患者采用类似的坐姿时，几种反应有所不同；与正常放松姿势相比，头部前倾时 OI 的 EMG 较小；坐直时 MF 的 EMG 较小；头部前倾和坐直时 SC 的 EMG 较小。WAD 患者的颈部肌肉通常对眼球运动更敏感，除了 SC 没有调节。
这些发现支持颈部肌肉活动受脊柱姿势和眼球运动影响的假设。在 WAD 中，这种关系被扭曲，对眼球运动的反应增加。
这些观察结果可能对 WAD 患者的临床管理具有潜在意义。
