NCT06936020

Effects of Peripheral Somatosensory Stimulation Via Mechanical Pressure on Lower Limb Muscle Strength in Healthy Subjects.

• Status: Not Yet Recruiting
• Phase: N/A
• Study type: Interventional
• Enrollment: 36 (estimated)
• Sponsor: Facultat de ciencies de la Salut Universitat Ramon Llull · Academic / Other
• Sex: All
• Age: 18 Years – 80 Years
• Healthy volunteers: Accepted

Summary

The proprioceptive system and strength are closely related within the sensorimotor system: proprioception enables effective and coordinated muscle activation (including intramuscular and intermuscular coordination or synergistic abilities), which is essential for maintaining the functional stability of joints and preventing injuries-in short, for controlling motor patterns. This principle provides a window through which changes in strength can be observed via peripheral proprioceptive stimulation that activates the muscular system with the goal of increasing recruitment. This justifies the implementation of proprioceptive input in approaches aimed at motor learning.

Detailed description

Objective: To determine whether the application of a peripheral proprioceptive stimulus to the neuromuscular motor points of the quadriceps increases strength and neuromuscular activation during the squat movement in the lower limbs of healthy, untrained subjects. Methods: The design of this study is a randomized crossover clinical trial. All participants (n=36) will randomly receive both the Active and Sham proprioceptive stimulation.The proprioceptive stimulus will consist of intermittent mechanical pressure on the skin, localized at the neuromuscular motor points of the rectus femoris, vastus lateralis, and vastus medialis of the quadriceps. The tissue subjected to precise pressure in these highly innervated neuromuscular zones promotes the stimulation of kinesthetic cortical sensitivity. The outcome variable will be the assessment of Maximum Strength (MS) generated by the participant during the squat movement, from a 90º knee flexion position to full extension. At the moment of peak force, the mean velocity (MV) of the concentric phase of the movement and the maximum load the participant can move will be evaluated. The intervention, assessment, and recruitment will take place at the Faculty of Health Sciences, Blanquerna - Ramon Llull University

Conditions

• Healthy Volunteers

Interventions

Type	Name	Description
OTHER	deep peripheral sensory stimulation	The proprioceptive stimulus will consist of intermittent mechanical pressure on the skin, localized at the neuromuscular motor points of the rectus femoris, vastus lateralis, and vastus medialis of the quadriceps. The tissue subjected to this precise pressure in areas of high neuromuscular innervation facilitates the stimulation of kinesthetic cortical sensitivity. The experimental group (EG) will be randomly and crosswise subdivided into two groups, so that both receive the intervention in two different modalities at two different times.

Timeline

• Start date: 2025-05-01
• Primary completion: 2025-07-01
• Completion: 2025-09-01
• First posted: 2025-04-20
• Last updated: 2025-04-30

Locations

1 site across 1 country: Spain