Reflex hyperexcitability persists during voluntary muscle activation following stroke
Abstract
After a stroke, the spinal stretch reflex is altered, but its behavior during functionally relevant, active-muscle conditions remained unclear. By accounting for both agonist and antagonist muscle activity, we reconcile discrepancies in the literature and demonstrate that the post-stroke stretch reflex is increasingly hyperexcitable with muscle activation. These results reveal persistent poststroke reflex differences during active conditions, highlighting impaired stretch reflex modulation as a potential contributor to movement deficits and a critical target for rehabilitation.
Fields of Study & Subjects
Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation Studies
Motor Control and Adaptation
Muscle activation and electromyography studies
Publication details
- Journal / source
- Journal of Neurophysiology
- Publisher
- American Physiological Society
- Volume
- 135
- Issue
- 4
- Pages
- 1062–1071
- Publication date
- 27 March 2026
- Language
- EN