The monosynaptic reflex: a tool to investigate motor control in humans. Interest and limits

Pierrot-Deseilligny, E; Mazevet, Dominique

doi:10.1016/s0987-7053(00)00062-9

Cited by 293 publications

(233 citation statements)

References 41 publications

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“…The Mmax has been reported to be representative of the entire motoneuron pool and therefore a ceiling above which measurements could not exceed. 14,24,27 However, using a percutaneous stimulus, it is conceivable that some of the deep fibers within the nerve may not reach the firing threshold. If the nerve-firing threshold were decreased, making the membrane more excitable, then the same stimulus would recruit more fibers and result in a greater twitch amplitude.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Ankle Cryotherapy Facilitates Soleus Function

Hopkins¹,

Stencil²

2002

J Orthop Sports Phys Ther

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Rhonda Stencil, MS, ATC 2Study Design: A 2-factor (group and time) experimental design with repeated measures on time. Objectives: To determine the effects of ankle cryotherapy on voluntary and resting motor function of the soleus over a 60-minute period. To determine if a relationship exists between changes in torque production and Hoffmann reflex (H-reflex) following ankle joint cryotherapy treatment. Background: Controversy surrounds the use of cryotherapy prior to activity and rehabilitation. While cooling muscle may have a deleterious effect on motor function, cooling the joint may enhance motor function around the joint. The H-reflex is a good resting measure of motoneuronal activity. However, its relationship to voluntary activity is unknown. Methods and Measures: Thirty subjects were pretested (baseline) for normalized H-reflex (defined as the ratio of maximum H-reflex [Hmax] to maximum direct motor response [Mmax]) and peak plantar flexion torque. A crushed ice bag was placed over the ankle of 15 subjects for 30 minutes. H-reflex and torque measurements were collected immediately following the cryotherapy treatment at 30, 60, and 90 minutes. Surface temperatures were recorded from the ankle and electrode site with each measurement interval. Results: Both peak H-reflex and plantar flexion torque at 30, 60, and 90 minutes increased relative to baseline measurements. Each measurement was also greater than the corresponding control at 30, 60, and 90 minutes. A weak correlation (r = 0.38; P = 0.036) existed between changes in H-reflex and plantar flexion torque at 30 minutes. Conclusions:The soleus motoneuron pool is facilitated following a 30-minute crushed ice application to the ankle and over a 60-minute postcooling period. These data support the use of joint cooling prior to activity and rehabilitation.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Ankle Cryotherapy Facilitates Soleus Function

Hopkins¹,

Stencil²

2002

J Orthop Sports Phys Ther

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“…The H-reflex and M-wave do not activate the same αMNs: Ia afferent input will recruit MNs according to the size principle (Henneman 1957), while the electrical stimulation that elicits the M-wave activates initially larger diameter axons from fast MUs. (Knikou 2008;Pierrot-Deseilligny & Mazevet 2000) The amplitudes of the H-reflex and M-wave will both increase fairly linearly with the stimulation intensity until the maximum H-reflex (Hmax), representing the fullest extent of reflex activation, and, at higher stimulation intensities, the maximum M-wave (Mmax), representing the maximal muscle activation (Crone et al 1999). The APs generated in the motor axons not only travels orthodromically (i.e.…”

Section: Hoffman Reflexmentioning

confidence: 99%

Effects of muscle action type on corticospinal excitability and triceps surae muscle-tendon mechanics

Valadão

Kurokawa

Finni

et al. 2018

Journal of Neurophysiology

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Valadão, Pedro Frederico, 2012. Effects of muscle action type on corticospinal excitability and triceps surae muscle-tendon mechanics. Department of Biology of Physical Activity, University of Jyväskylä. Master's Thesis in Biomechanics. 105 pp.The present study was designed to investigate corticospinal excitability modulation during maximum isometric and eccentric muscle actions with two different velocities. Moreover, the study aimed to clarify the effect of muscle action type on muscle-tendon mechanical behavior in order to shed light into the possible role of sensory information in modulating corticospinal excitability during different muscle actions. We compared motor evoked potentials (MEPs) to transcranial magnetic stimulation and Hoffman reflexes (H-reflex) in soleus muscle during isometric, slow eccentric (25 deg/s) and fast eccentric (100 deg/s) muscle actions. Concomitantly, ultrasonography was utilized to access soleus and medial gastrocnemius fascicle behavior, characterized by fascicle length, velocity and pennation angle.The main finding was that soleus H-reflex was depressed (P < 0.001) during both fast and slow eccentric protocols as compared to isometric, while no differences in fascicle length (P = 0.569) and pennation angle (P = 0.293) were found among the three protocols.Furthermore, although the fast eccentric protocol had a greater fascicle velocity than slow eccentric (P < 0.05), there were no differences in H-reflex (P > 0.05). No differences in MEP sizes were found among the three protocols (P = 0.750), while absolute silent period was significantly shorter (P = 0.009) for both eccentric protocols as compared to isometric.Taken together, the present results corroborates with the idea that the central nervous system has an unique activation strategy during eccentric muscle actions , Enoka 1996, and further refutes the hypothesis that sensory information plays an important role in modulating these actions.

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“…In this study we used the H-reflex as a test reflex to assess the effects of conditioning afferent volleys on a pool of soleus motoneurons. Reflex facilitation is likely to affect the motoneurons that were just recruited in the control reflex or that just failed to discharge (Pierrot-Deseilligny and Mazevet 2000). These motoneurons receive also oligosynaptic excitatory inputs (Burke et al 1984).…”

Section: Which Afferents/receptors Of the Hip Region Were Excited Durmentioning

confidence: 99%

Effects of hip joint angle changes on intersegmental spinal coupling in human spinal cord injury

Knikou

2005

Exp Brain Res

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Pathological expression of movement and muscle tone in human upper motor neuron disorders has been partly associated with impaired modulation of spinal inhibitory mechanisms, such as reciprocal or presynaptic inhibition. In addition, input from specific afferent systems contributes significantly to spinal reflex circuits coupled with posture or locomotion. Accordingly, the objectives of this study were to identify the involved afferents and their relative contribution to soleus H-reflex modulation induced by changes in hip position, and to relate these effects with activity of spinal interneuronal circuits. Specifically, we investigated the actions of group I synergistic and antagonistic muscle afferents (e.g. common peroneal nerve, CPN; medial gastrocnemius, MG) and tactile plantar cutaneous afferents on the soleus H-reflex during controlled hip angle variations in 11 motor incomplete spinal cord injured (SCI) subjects. It has been postulated in healthy subjects that CPN stimulation evokes an inhibition on the soleus H-reflex at a conditioning test (C-T) interval of 2-4 ms. This short latency reflex depression is caused mainly by activation of the reciprocal Ia inhibitory pathway. At longer C-T intervals (beyond 30 ms) the soleus H-reflex is again depressed, and is generally accepted to be caused by presynaptic inhibition of soleus Ia afferents. Similarly, MG nerve stimulation depresses soleus H-reflex excitability at the C-T interval of 6 ms, involving the pathway of non-reciprocal group I inhibition, while excitation of plantar cutaneous afferents affects the activity of spinal reflex pathways in the extensors. In this study, soleus H-reflexes recorded alone or during CPN stimulation at either short (2, 3, 4 ms) or long (80, 100, 120 ms) C-T intervals, and MG nerve stimulation delivered at 6 ms were elicited via conventional methods and similar to those adopted in studies conducted in healthy subjects. Plantar skin conditioning stimulation was delivered through two surface electrodes placed on the metatarsals at different C-T intervals ranging from 3 to 90 ms. CPN stimulation at either short or long C-T intervals and MG nerve stimulation resulted in a significant facilitation of the soleus H-reflex, regardless of the hip angle tested. Plantar skin stimulation delivered with hip extended at 10° induced a bimodal facilitation reflex pattern, while with hip flexed (10°, 30°) the reflex facilitation increased with increments in the C-T interval. This study provides evidence that in human chronic SCI, classically key inhibitory reflex actions are switched to facilitatory, and that spinal processing of plantar cutaneous sensory input and actions of synergistic/antagonistic muscle afferents interact with hip proprioceptive input to facilitate soleus H-reflex excitability. These actions might be associated with the pathological expression of neural control of movement in individuals with SCI, and potentially could be considered in rehabilitation programs geared to restore sensorimotor function in these patien...

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The monosynaptic reflex: a tool to investigate motor control in humans. Interest and limits

Cited by 293 publications

References 41 publications

Ankle Cryotherapy Facilitates Soleus Function

Ankle Cryotherapy Facilitates Soleus Function

Effects of muscle action type on corticospinal excitability and triceps surae muscle-tendon mechanics

Effects of hip joint angle changes on intersegmental spinal coupling in human spinal cord injury

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