Increased EMG response following electromyographic biofeedback treatment of rectus femoris muscle after spinal cord injury.

OBJECTIVE: To study increases in electromyographic (EMG) response from the right and left rectus femoris muscles of individuals with long-term cervical spinal cord injuries after EMG biofeedback treatment.

DESIGN: Repeated measure trials compared EMG responses before and after biofeedback treatment in patients with spinal cord injuries.

MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: The Neuroeducator was used to analyse and provide feedback of the EMG signal and to measure EMG response.

SETTING: Department of Traumatic Orthopaedics, School of Medicine, University of São Paulo, Brazil.

PARTICIPANTS: Twenty subjects (three men and 17 women), between 21 and 49 years of age, with incomplete spinal cord injury at level C6 or higher (range C2 to C6). Of these subjects, 10 received their spinal cord injuries from motor vehicle accidents, one from a gunshot, five from diving, three from falls and one from spinal disc herniation.

RESULTS: Significant differences were found in the EMG response of the right rectus femoris muscle between pre-initial (T1), post-initial (T2) and additional (T3) biofeedback treatment with the subjects in a sitting position [mean (standard deviation) T1: 26μV (29); T2: 67μV (50); T3: 77μV (62)]. The mean differences and 95% confidence intervals for these comparisons were as follows: T1 to T2, -40.7 (-53.1 to -29.4); T2 to T3, -9.6 (-26.1 to 2.3). Similar differences were found for the left leg in a sitting position and for both legs in the sit-to-stand condition.

CONCLUSIONS: The EMG responses obtained in this study showed that treatment involving EMG biofeedback significantly increased voluntary EMG responses from right and left rectus femoris muscles in individuals with spinal cord injuries.