Medicine and Health Sciences Commons^™

Are You Numb Yet?, Monica Lozano Garcia, Chelsea Erazo Macias, Victoria Cuello, Kelsey Baker

Research Colloquium

Background: Recent research has suggested that after a spinal cord injury (SCI), detrimental reorganization of neural structures favors stronger muscles while inhibiting weaker muscles. Temporary deafferentation (TD) is a technique that uses short-term anesthesia, to inactivate sensation pathways from stronger muscles so that the brain releases inhibition that was placed on weaker muscles, thereby strengthening them. Here, we seek to evaluate when peak TD is achieved to define when strength-building exercises on a weaker muscle should begin.

Methods: 5% lidocaine cream was applied to the right biceps of 7 healthy volunteers. We measured sensation every 15 minutes after …