Spastic co-contraction: A misdirected central command
Jean-Michel Gracies, Robert J. Kahoud, Maria Vinti, Simon C. Gandevia, David Burke, Maud Pradines · 2026
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Description
Jean-Michel Gracies and co-authors studied unwanted muscle tightening that occurs when people with spastic weakness try to move, in work published in 2026. Thirteen people with long term weakness on one or both sides took part. They pushed with their ankle muscles while the team recorded muscle signals and force.
The opposing muscle fired in every limb during these efforts, and the problem grew with harder effort. It was worse when the calf muscle was stretched by a straight knee, and at times the wrong muscle fired first. The pattern points to a faulty command from the brain, boosted by stretch signals. The authors say this tightening is distinct from stiffness, and it can badly cut force.
Catalog record
| CREATOR | Jean-Michel Gracies, Robert J. Kahoud, Maria Vinti, Simon C. Gandevia, David Burke, Maud Pradines |
|---|---|
| YEAR | 2026 |
| COLLECTION | PAPERS |
| FORMAT | TXT |
| FILE SIZE | 65 KB |
| VERSION | 1.0 |
| LICENSE | CC BY 4.0 |
| RIGHTS | CC BY |
| SOURCE | Europe PMC |