Mitigating the bilateral deficit: reducing neural deficits through residual force enhancement and activation reduction
Date
2018-09
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
European Journal of Applied Physiology
Abstract
The bilateral deficit (BLD) is characterized by a reduction in maximal voluntary torque during a bilateral contraction relative to the sum of left and right unilateral contractions. The BLD has been attributed to interhemispheric inhibition as a result of unilateral torque differences between limbs. If the BLD is the result of interhemispheric inhibition, lowering activation for a torque matching task, as shown in residual force enhancement (RFE), may help overcome the decrease in neural drive during bilateral contractions. Therefore, the purpose of the present study was to determine whether RFE could reduce the BLD.
Description
Keywords
activation reduction, bilateral deficit, electromyography (EMG), muscle
Citation
MacDonald, G. Z., Mazara, N., Herzog, W., & Power, G. A. (2018). Mitigating the bilateral deficit: reducing neural deficits through residual force enhancement and activation reduction. European Journal of Applied Physiology, 118(9), 1911–1919. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00421-018-3924-x