Descending Brainstem Systems Contribute to Ankle Clonus in Humans with Spinal Cord Injury

Ankle clonus is a sustained, involuntary, rhythmic muscle contraction frequently observed in humans with spinal cord injury (SCI). Although its pathophysiology remains incompletely understood, converging evidence suggests a role for brainstem systems in its generation. Following SCI, brainstem neuromodulatory inputs partially compensate for the loss of descending motor pathways by regulating motoneuron excitability during involuntary contractions, suggesting their involvement in the generation of clonus. To test this hypothesis, motoneuron excitability in response to Ia synaptic input was quantified using the soleus H-reflex and maximal motor response (H/M ratio), and brainstem involvement was probed using the long-lasting component of the cutaneous reflex (LLR) in the tibialis anterior and soleus muscles, as well as the StartReact response—an involuntary release of a movement triggered by a startling stimulus thought to engage the reticulospinal tract. We studied individuals with chronic SCI, both with and without ankle clonus, using standardized clinical tests across two days. Participants with clonus showed elevated H/M ratios, indicating increased motoneuron excitability, whereas those without clonus exhibited lower values than controls. Additionally, individuals with clonus exhibited longer LLR duration and greater LLR magnitude in both muscles, along with shorter reaction times to startle stimuli, consistent with enhanced monoaminergic and reticulospinal contributions. Notably, LLR duration was positively correlated with both StartReact response and H/M ratio. Together, these findings support a role for descending brainstem systems—particularly monoaminergic and reticulospinal pathways—in the maintenance of clonus in chronic SCI.