Use of Muscle Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging to Compare Cervical Flexor Activity Between Patients With Whiplash-Associated Disorders and People Who Are Healthy

Background. Chronic whiplash-associated disorders (WAD) have been shown to be associated with motor dysfunction. Increased electromyographic (EMG) activity in neck and shoulder girdle muscles has been demonstrated during different tasks in participants with persistent WAD. Muscle functional magnetic resonance imaging (mfMRI) is an innovative technique to evaluate muscle activity and differential recruitment of deep and superficial muscles following exercise. Objective. The purpose of this study was to compare the recruitment pattern of deep and superficial neck flexors between patients with WAD and controls using mfMRI. Design. A cross-sectional design was used. Method. The study was conducted in a physical and rehabilitation medicine department. The participants were 19 controls who were healthy (10 men, 9 women; mean [SD] age22.20.6 years) and 16 patients with WAD (5 men, 11 women; mean [SD] age32.912.7 years). The T2 values were calculated for the longus colli (Lco), longus capitis (Lca), and sternocleidomastoid (SCM) muscles at rest an