Figure 4.

The facilitation of the flexor carpi radialis H-reflex is lower in adults with cerebral palsy than in neurotypical adults. Raw averaged flexor carpi radialis (FCR) H-waves and M-waves during rest (in red and blue, respectively) and during voluntary contraction (in black) for an exemplary NT adult control (A) and an adult with CP (B) are shown. The exemplary subjects were chosen based on their similarity to the means of the respective groups. Inspection of (A,B), shows that the H-wave does not appreciably change for the adult with CP, while it is altered during the muscle contraction for the NT control. EMG amplitude from the FCR muscle is shown on the y-axis and time (ms) is denoted on the x-axis, with 0 ms defined as the onset of the stimulus artifact. M, M-wave; H, H-wave; A, stimulus artifact. (C) Box-and-whisker plots of the group Hact:Hrest ratios. As shown, the Hact:Hrest ratios were statistically smaller in the adults with CP, when compared with the NT controls. *Indicates P < 0.05.