PhD defence: Neuromuscular consequences of short-term immobilization and modulation by spinal associative plasticity

Lasse Jespersen

Limb immobilization is widely used after injury and surgery, but even short periods of disuse can rapidly impair muscle strength and motor function. While these declines are often attributed to muscle atrophy, emerging evidence suggests that early impairments are largely driven by changes within the nervous system.

This PhD project investigated how short-term immobilization affects neuromuscular function and whether these negative adaptations can be counteracted using targeted neurostimulation.

The findings demonstrate that immobilization induces rapid neural impairments affecting motor output, and that spinal associative stimulation can preserve both neural function and muscle strength during periods of disuse.

2026, 219 pages.

Assessment Committee

Professor Ylva Hellsten (chair), Department of Nutrition, Exercise and Sports, University of Copenhagen, Denmark.

Professor Thomas Sinkjær, Aalborg University, Denmark.

Professor Natalie Mrachacz-Kersting, Albert–Ludwigs–Universität Freiburg, Germany.

Supervisors

Associate Professor Jesper Lundbye-Jensen, Department of Nutrition, Exercise and Sports, University of Copenhagen, Denmark.

Associate Professor Anke Ninija Karabanov, Department of Nutrition, Exercise and Sports, University of Copenhagen, Denmark.

Place

Store Auditorium, Nørre Allé 53, 2200 København N.

Copy of thesis

Email address to gain access to the thesis: lje@nexs.ku.dk 

You will either receive a copy of the thesis or be informed where you can read a physical copy.