Alterations in Cortical and Cerebellar Motor Processing Following Spinal Manipulation

A ChiroSecure Research Update

Abstract:
The purpose of this study was investigate whether there are alterations in cerebellar output in a subclinical neck pain (SCNP) group and whether spinal manipulation before motor sequence learning might restore the baseline functional relationship between the cerebellum and motor cortex.

Discussion:
Ten volunteers were tested with SCNP using transcranial magnetic stimulation before and after a combined intervention of spinal manipulation and motor sequence learning. In a separate experiment, we tested 10 healthy controls using the same measures before and after motor sequence learning. Our transcranial magnetic stimulation measurements included short-interval intracortical inhibition, long-interval intracortical inhibition, and cerebellar inhibition (CBI).

The SCNP group showed a significant improvement in task performance as indicated by a 19% decrease in mean reaction time ( P < .0001), which occurred concurrently with a decrease in CBI following the combined spinal manipulation and motor sequence learning intervention (F 1,6 = 7.92, P < .05). The control group also showed an improvement in task performance as indicated by a 25% increase in reaction time ( P < .001) with no changes to CBI.

Conclusion: Subclinical neck pain patients have altered CBI when compared with healthy controls, and spinal manipulation before a motor sequence learning task changes the CBI pattern to one similar to healthy controls.

Reference:
Baarbe, J., Daligadu, J.,Haavik,H., Murphy, B. Yielder,P. Alterations in Cortical and Cerebellar Motor Processing in Subclinical Neck Pain Patients Following Spinal Manipulation. Journal Of Manipulative And Physiological Therapeutics.VOLUME 36, ISSUE 8, P527-537, OCTOBER 01, 2013. https://www.jmptonline.org/article/S0161-4754(13)00203-0/fulltext