Skip to main content
PMC home page
The Journal of Physiology logoLink to The Journal of Physiology
. 1996 Feb 15;491(Pt 1):197–207. doi: 10.1113/jphysiol.1996.sp021207

Evidence for cutaneous and corticospinal modulation of presynaptic inhibition of Ia afferents from the human lower limb.

J F Iles 1
PMCID: PMC1158770  PMID: 9011611

Abstract

1. Presynaptic inhibition of soleus muscle Ia afferent fibres, produced by stimulation of group I afferents in the common peroneal nerve, was assessed from changes in the H reflex at long conditioning intervals, in six normal subjects. 2. Stimulation of the ipsilateral sural nerve at the malleolus, just before stimulation of the common peroneal nerve at the head of the fibula, decreased the presynaptic inhibition. This effect was strongest during voluntary plantar flexion and weaker during dorsiflexion or at rest. 3. Stimulation of other cutaneous nerve branches serving the dorsum of the ipsilateral foot, and also the contralateral sural nerve, decreased presynaptic inhibition. Adequate stimulation of low threshold cutaneous mechanoreceptors by light brushing of both distal dorsal and plantar surfaces of the ipsilateral foot decreased presynaptic inhibition. 4. Stimulation of the ipsilateral plantar nerves increased presynaptic inhibition, but this action is attributed to activation of group I afferents from the intrinsic muscles of the foot. 5. Transcranial magnetic stimulation of the lower limb area of the contralateral motor cortex decreased presynaptic inhibition. This effect was strongest during voluntary plantar flexion and weaker during dorsiflexion or at rest. 6. The actions of cutaneous and corticospinal pathways completely occluded each other. However, when both effects were adjusted to be liminal, a spatial facilitation between them was observed. 7. It is concluded that in man, as in the cat, cutaneous and corticospinal axons converge on interneurones that inhibit the machinery of presynaptic inhibition of group Ia afferents. These actions may be responsible for the modulation of presynaptic inhibition which has been observed to precede and accompany a wide range of human movements.

Full text

PDF
200

Selected References

These references are in PubMed. This may not be the complete list of references from this article.

  1. Advani A., Ashby P. Corticospinal control of soleus motoneurons in man. Can J Physiol Pharmacol. 1990 Sep;68(9):1231–1235. doi: 10.1139/y90-185. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  2. Aniss A. M., Diener H. C., Hore J., Burke D., Gandevia S. C. Reflex activation of muscle spindles in human pretibial muscles during standing. J Neurophysiol. 1990 Aug;64(2):671–679. doi: 10.1152/jn.1990.64.2.671. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  3. Berardelli A., Day B. L., Marsden C. D., Rothwell J. C. Evidence favouring presynaptic inhibition between antagonist muscle afferents in the human forearm. J Physiol. 1987 Oct;391:71–83. doi: 10.1113/jphysiol.1987.sp016726. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  4. Bergego C., Pierrot-Deseilligny E., Mazieres L. Facilitation of transmission in Ib pathways by cutaneous afferents from the contralateral foot sole in man. Neurosci Lett. 1981 Dec 23;27(3):297–301. doi: 10.1016/0304-3940(81)90446-8. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  5. Brink E., Jankowska E., Skoog B. Convergence onto interneurons subserving primary afferent depolarization of group I afferents. J Neurophysiol. 1984 Mar;51(3):432–449. doi: 10.1152/jn.1984.51.3.432. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  6. Burke D., Gracies J. M., Meunier S., Pierrot-Deseilligny E. Changes in presynaptic inhibition of afferents to propriospinal-like neurones in man during voluntary contractions. J Physiol. 1992 Apr;449:673–687. doi: 10.1113/jphysiol.1992.sp019108. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  7. Cavallari P., Fournier E., Katz R., Malmgren K., Pierrot-Deseilligny E., Shindo M. Cutaneous facilitation of transmission in Ib reflex pathways in the human upper limb. Exp Brain Res. 1985;60(1):197–199. doi: 10.1007/BF00237033. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  8. Devanandan M. S., Eccles R. M., Stenhouse D. Presynaptic inhibition evoked by muscle contraction. J Physiol. 1966 Jul;185(2):471–485. doi: 10.1113/jphysiol.1966.sp007997. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  9. Edamura M., Yang J. F., Stein R. B. Factors that determine the magnitude and time course of human H-reflexes in locomotion. J Neurosci. 1991 Feb;11(2):420–427. doi: 10.1523/JNEUROSCI.11-02-00420.1991. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  10. El-Tohamy A., Sedgwick E. M. Spinal inhibition in man: depression of the soleus H reflex by stimulation of the nerve to the antagonist muscle. J Physiol. 1983 Apr;337:497–508. doi: 10.1113/jphysiol.1983.sp014638. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  11. Hayashi R., Tako K., Tokuda T., Yanagisawa N. Comparison of amplitude of human soleus H-reflex during sitting and standing. Neurosci Res. 1992 Apr;13(3):227–233. doi: 10.1016/0168-0102(92)90062-h. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  12. Hultborn H., Meunier S., Pierrot-Deseilligny E., Shindo M. Changes in presynaptic inhibition of Ia fibres at the onset of voluntary contraction in man. J Physiol. 1987 Aug;389:757–772. doi: 10.1113/jphysiol.1987.sp016681. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  13. Iles J. F., Pisini J. V. Vestibular-evoked postural reactions in man and modulation of transmission in spinal reflex pathways. J Physiol. 1992 Sep;455:407–424. doi: 10.1113/jphysiol.1992.sp019308. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  14. Iles J. F., Roberts R. C. Inhibition of monosynaptic reflexes in the human lower limb. J Physiol. 1987 Apr;385:69–87. doi: 10.1113/jphysiol.1987.sp016484. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  15. Jankowska E. Interneuronal relay in spinal pathways from proprioceptors. Prog Neurobiol. 1992;38(4):335–378. doi: 10.1016/0301-0082(92)90024-9. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  16. Koceja D. M., Trimble M. H., Earles D. R. Inhibition of the soleus H-reflex in standing man. Brain Res. 1993 Nov 26;629(1):155–158. doi: 10.1016/0006-8993(93)90495-9. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  17. Maier M. A., Bennett K. M., Hepp-Reymond M. C., Lemon R. N. Contribution of the monkey corticomotoneuronal system to the control of force in precision grip. J Neurophysiol. 1993 Mar;69(3):772–785. doi: 10.1152/jn.1993.69.3.772. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  18. Meunier S., Pierrot-Deseilligny E., Simonetta M. Pattern of monosynaptic heteronymous Ia connections in the human lower limb. Exp Brain Res. 1993;96(3):534–544. doi: 10.1007/BF00234121. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  19. Mizuno Y., Tanaka R., Yanagisawa N. Reciprocal group I inhibition on triceps surae motoneurons in man. J Neurophysiol. 1971 Nov;34(6):1010–1017. doi: 10.1152/jn.1971.34.6.1010. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  20. Nakashima K., Rothwell J. C., Day B. L., Thompson P. D., Marsden C. D. Cutaneous effects on presynaptic inhibition of flexor Ia afferents in the human forearm. J Physiol. 1990 Jul;426:369–380. doi: 10.1113/jphysiol.1990.sp018143. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  21. Nielsen J., Kagamihara Y. Differential projection of the sural nerve to early and late recruited human tibialis anterior motor units: change of recruitment gain. Acta Physiol Scand. 1993 Apr;147(4):385–401. doi: 10.1111/j.1748-1716.1993.tb09515.x. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  22. Nielsen J., Kagamihara Y. The regulation of presynaptic inhibition during co-contraction of antagonistic muscles in man. J Physiol. 1993 May;464:575–593. doi: 10.1113/jphysiol.1993.sp019652. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  23. Pierrot-Deseilligny E., Bergego C., Katz R. Reversal in cutaneous of Ib pathways during human voluntary contraction. Brain Res. 1982 Feb 11;233(2):400–403. doi: 10.1016/0006-8993(82)91213-6. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  24. Quevedo J., Eguibar J. R., Jiménez I., Rudomin P. Raphe magnus and reticulospinal actions on primary afferent depolarization of group I muscle afferents in the cat. J Physiol. 1995 Feb 1;482(Pt 3):623–640. doi: 10.1113/jphysiol.1995.sp020545. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  25. Roberts R. C., Part N. J., Farquhar R., Butchart P. Presynaptic inhibition of soleus Ia afferent terminals in Parkinson's disease. J Neurol Neurosurg Psychiatry. 1994 Dec;57(12):1488–1491. doi: 10.1136/jnnp.57.12.1488. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  26. Roby-Brami A., Bussel B. Effects of flexor reflex afferent stimulation on the soleus H reflex in patients with a complete spinal cord lesion: evidence for presynaptic inhibition of Ia transmission. Exp Brain Res. 1990;81(3):593–601. doi: 10.1007/BF02423509. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  27. Rossi A., Mazzocchio R. Cutaneous control of group I pathways from ankle flexors to extensors in man. Exp Brain Res. 1988;73(1):8–14. doi: 10.1007/BF00279655. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  28. Valls-Sole J., Alvarez R., Tolosa E. S. Vibration-induced presynaptic inhibition of the soleus H reflex is temporarily reduced by cortical magnetic stimulation in human subjects. Neurosci Lett. 1994 Mar 28;170(1):149–152. doi: 10.1016/0304-3940(94)90261-5. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  29. Yang J. F., Whelan P. J. Neural mechanisms that contribute to cyclical modulation of the soleus H-reflex in walking in humans. Exp Brain Res. 1993;95(3):547–556. doi: 10.1007/BF00227148. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]

Articles from The Journal of Physiology are provided here courtesy of The Physiological Society

RESOURCES