Sustained muscle contractions maintained by autonomous neuronal activity within the human spinal cord

Journal of Neurophysiology
Daichi NozakiHideo Yano

Abstract

It is well known that muscle contraction can be easily evoked in the human soleus muscle by applying single-pulse electrical stimulation to the tibial nerve at the popliteal fossa. We herein reveal the unexpected phenomenon of muscle contractions that can be observed when train stimulation is used instead. We found, in 11 human subjects, that transient electrical train stimulation (1-ms pulses, 50 Hz, 2 s) was able to induce sustained muscle contractions in the soleus muscle that outlasted the stimulation period for greater than 1 min. Subjects were unaware of their own muscle activity, suggesting that this is an involuntary muscle contraction. In fact, the excitability of the primary motor cortex (M1) with the sustained muscle contractions evaluated by transcranial magnetic stimulation was lower than the excitability with voluntary muscle contractions even when both muscle contraction levels were matched. This finding indicates that M1 was less involved in maintaining the muscle contractions. Furthermore, the muscle contractions did not come from spontaneous activity of muscle fibers or from reverberating activity within closed neuronal circuits involving motoneurons. These conclusions were made based on the respective evidenc...Continue Reading

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Citations

Nov 15, 2011·Brain : a Journal of Neurology·Sylvie RaoulRose Katz
Jul 11, 2007·Exercise and Sport Sciences Reviews·David F Collins
Jun 12, 2010·Journal of Neuroengineering and Rehabilitation·Fernando H Magalhães, André F Kohn
Mar 17, 2006·The Journal of Physiology·T George HornbyBrian D Schmit
Jan 21, 2006·The Journal of Physiology·Andrew J FuglevandDouglas A Keen
Apr 14, 2006·Journal of Neurophysiology·Piotr M KlakowiczDavid F Collins
Apr 22, 2006·Journal of Applied Physiology·Evan R L BaldwinDavid F Collins
Apr 25, 2009·Journal of Applied Physiology·Olle LagerquistSimon C Gandevia
Nov 15, 2008·Journal of Applied Physiology·Jean-Sébastien BlouinSimon C Gandevia

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