Neck Muscle Vibration prior to visuomotor task acquisition impacts early somatosensory evoked potential amplitudes in individuals with subclinical neck pain.

BACKGROUND: Subclinical neck pain (SCNP) is associated with altered sensorimotor integration, proprioception, and somatosensory evoked potentials (SEPs) in response to visuomotor tracing task acquisition. Neck muscle vibration (NMV) in healthy adults impairs upper limb proprioception and motor skill acquisition. In contrast, NMV improves neck and elbow joint position sense in neck pain participants, but neurophysiological responses have not been measured. This study aimed to investigate the effects of NMV on SEP changes post-acquisition of a novel motor tracing task (MTT) in those with SCNP. METHODS: 23 right-handed, SCNP participants were divided into vibration (age: 22.4 ± 3.44, n=12; 6 females) (V) and no vibration (NV) (Age: 22.5 ± 4.69, n=11; 7 females) groups. Short-latency SEPs were elicited via right median nerve stimulation at 2.47 Hz and 4.98 Hz, before and after MTT acquisition. Following pre-acquisition MTT, V received 10- minutes of 60 Hz vibration over the right sternocleidomastoid and left cervical extensor muscles, while NV rested10-minutes, followed by acquisition and post-acquisition phases with retention assessed 24hours later. RESULTS: Significant time by group interactions were observed for: N18 SEP: decreased 55.7% for V, 20.4% for NV (p=0.028); N24 SEP: 22.9% decrease for V and13.6% increase NV(p = 0.010,). Error decreased post acquisition: 20%V, 23.6% NV; Retention: further decreases7.7% V and 4.4%NV with no group differences for either (p = <0.001). CONCLUSION: V had differential changes in SEP peaks at the level of the olivary-cerebellar pathway (N18), and cerebellar-somatosensory pathway (N24) in those with SCNP.