Soleus stretch reflex inhibition in the early swing phase of gait using deep peroneal nerve stimulation in spastic stroke participants.

Objectives. To investigate the feasibility of inhibiting the stretch reflex of the soleus muscle by a conditioning stimulus applied to the deep peroneal nerve in spastic stroke participants during the early swing phase of gait. Materials and Methods. This study investigated the effect of an electrical conditioning stimulus applied to the deep peroneal nerve on the magnitude at the peak of the soleus stretch reflex in the early swing phase of gait in six spastic stroke participants. Results. Five of the six participants showed a reduced stretch reflex of more than 80%. On average (n= 4), it was shown that maximal inhibition occurred at a conditioning-test interval of 114 ms and had a magnitude of more than 90% (p < 0.05). For all five participants investigated, there was a significant reduction in the sensitivity of the soleus stretch reflex after conditioning (p < 0.02). Conclusions. It is concluded that the inhibition of the soleus stretch reflex with an electrical conditioning stimulus applied to the deep peroneal nerve is feasible in the early swing phase of walking. This shows a potential for being used in the rehabilitation of walking by spastic stroke persons.