Reversal of the influence of group Ib afferents from plantaris on activity in medial gastrocnemius muscle during locomotor activity

Abstract

1. Rhythmic locomotor activity was evoked in clonidine-treated acute and chronic spinal cats, and the effect of stimulating group I afferents from the plantaris muscle on the timing and magnitude of bursts in medial gastrocnemius (MG) motoneurons was examined. 2. The locomotor rhythm was entrained when group I afferents in the plantaris nerve were electrically stimulated with trains of stimuli presented at rates above and below the intrinsic frequency of the rhythmic activity. During entrainment at rates higher than the intrinsic frequency, a burst of activity in ipsilateral MG motoneurons was initiated approximately 40 ms after the onset of each stimulus train. At lower rates of entrainment the onset of MG bursts preceded the onset of the stimulus trains, and each stimulus train had an excitatory effect on the MG burst with a latency in the range of 30-50 ms. A similar excitatory effect was observed when the stimulus trains were triggered at a preset delay after the endogenous generation of the MG bursts. 3. The excitatory action of plantaris group I afferents on the MG motoneurons was only seen during periods of locomotor activity. In the absence of rhythmic activity, the same stimulus trains reduced any ongoing tonic activity in MG motoneurons. 4. Vibration of the plantaris muscle to preferentially activate group Ia afferents neither entrained the locomotor rhythm nor increased the magnitude of the MG bursts. 5. We conclude that during locomotor activity, input from group Ib afferents of the plantaris muscle has an excitatory action on the system of interneurons generating the extensor bursts, i.e., on the extensor half-center of the central rhythm generator.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)

Muscle activation during unilateral stepping occurs in the nonstepping limb of humans with clinically complete spinal cord injury

“…Afferents from both sources could act through reflex pathways directly onto motor neurons or onto locomotor neural networks in the spinal cord 9,[19][20][21][22][23][24][25][26][27] (for review, see Duysens et al 6 ). There is no way to tell from the current data as to which afferents or which pathways were responsible.…”

Central and Sensory Contributions to the Activation and Organization of Muscle Synergies during Natural Motor Behaviors

“…Power generation might be enhanced by an increased activation of the Golgi tendon organs and Ib interneurons [attribut-able to increased extensor tension caused by the frog's weight being borne solely by the hindlimbs (Roberts and Marsh, 2003, their Fig. 5)], assisting in maximal activation of the extensor synergies through a positive feedback loop after Ib input onto the extensor motoneurons is reversed from inhibitory to excitatory (Pearson and Collins, 1993). A similar reflex reversal mechanism is believed to contribute to stance-phase reinforcement of the extensors in the walking cat (Whelan, 1996).…”

Modulation of ankle muscle postural reflexes in stroke: influence of weight-bearing load

“…muscle spindle input) factors than to peak limb load. Ib afferents from GTOs have been shown to be responsible for increasing muscle activity in response to increased limb load in cats (Duysens and Pearson, 1980;Pearson, 1995;Pearson and Collins, 1993). Subsequently, Dietz et al (1992) and Duysens et al (2000) have argued that GTOs signal load in humans as well.…”