Skip to main content
PMC home page
The Journal of Physiology logoLink to The Journal of Physiology
. 1973 Mar;229(2):297–317. doi: 10.1113/jphysiol.1973.sp010139

Muscle spindle afferent studies in the baboon

T H Koeze
PMCID: PMC1350308  PMID: 4269324

Abstract

1. The muscle spindle afferent conduction velocity and response to muscle twitch and stretch in young baboons has been recorded in order to find a conduction velocity that can be used to separate primary and secondary afferents.

2. A number of the features of the response of the spindle afferents to stretch were examined. It was found that none could distinguish between primary and secondary afferents with greater certainty than the conduction velocity.

3. Spindle afferents with conduction velocities below 50 m/sec can be classified as secondary and those with conduction velocities above 68 m/sec can be classified as primary with a reasonable degree of certainty.

4. The spindle afferents with conduction velocities between 51 and 67 m/sec are most likely not a separate intermediate group but represent a region of overlap between the two groups.

5. Comparisons of the difference between the response of primary and secondary afferents to overstretch suggested a mechanism to explain the saturation of the primary afferent response at frequencies far below those at which it is capable of firing.

Full text

PDF
301

Selected References

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

  1. BIANCONI R., van der MEULEN J. The response to vibration of the end organs of mammalian muscle spindles. J Neurophysiol. 1963 Jan;26:177–190. doi: 10.1152/jn.1963.26.1.177. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  2. Brown M. C., Lawrence D. G., Matthews P. B. Static fusimotor fibres and the position sensitivity of muscle spindle receptors. Brain Res. 1969 Jun;14(1):173–187. doi: 10.1016/0006-8993(69)90038-9. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  3. COOPER S. The responses of the primary and secondary endings of muscle spindles with intact motor innervation during applied stretch. Q J Exp Physiol Cogn Med Sci. 1961 Oct;46:389–398. doi: 10.1113/expphysiol.1961.sp001558. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  4. CROWE A., MATTHEWS P. B. THE EFFECTS OF STIMULATION OF STATIC AND DYNAMIC FUSIMOTOR FIBRES ON THE RESPONSE TO STRETCHING OF THE PRIMARY ENDINGS OF MUSCLE SPINDLES. J Physiol. 1964 Oct;174:109–131. doi: 10.1113/jphysiol.1964.sp007476. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  5. ELDRED E., LINDSLEY D. F., BUCHWALD J. S. The effect of cooling on mammalian muscle spindles. Exp Neurol. 1960 Apr;2:144–157. doi: 10.1016/0014-4886(60)90004-2. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  6. GRANIT R., HOMMA S. The discharge to maintained stretch of spindles in slow and fast muscles of rabbit. Acta Physiol Scand. 1959 Jun 24;46:165–173. doi: 10.1111/j.1748-1716.1959.tb01745.x. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  7. HARVEY R. J., MATTHEWS P. B. The response of de-efferented muscle spindle endings in the cat's soleus to slow extension of the muscle. J Physiol. 1961 Jul;157:370–392. doi: 10.1113/jphysiol.1961.sp006729. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  8. HUNT C. C. Relation of function to diameter in afferent fibers of muscle nerves. J Gen Physiol. 1954 Sep 20;38(1):117–131. doi: 10.1085/jgp.38.1.117. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  9. Husmark I., Ottoson D. Relation between tension and sensory response of the isolated frog muscle spindle during stretch. Acta Physiol Scand. 1970 Jul;79(3):321–334. doi: 10.1111/j.1748-1716.1970.tb04732.x. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  10. JANSEN J. K., MATTHEWS P. B. The central control of the dynamic response of muscle spindle receptors. J Physiol. 1962 May;161:357–378. doi: 10.1113/jphysiol.1962.sp006892. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  11. Koeze T. H., Phillips C. G., Sheridan J. D. Thresholds of cortical activation of muslce spindles and alpha motoneurones of the baboon's hand. J Physiol. 1968 Mar;195(2):419–449. doi: 10.1113/jphysiol.1968.sp008466. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  12. Koeze T. H. The response to stretch of muscle spindle afferents of baboon's tibialis anticus and the effect of fusimotor stimulation. J Physiol. 1968 Jul;197(1):107–121. doi: 10.1113/jphysiol.1968.sp008549. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  13. Koeze T. H. Thresholds of cortical activation of baboon alpha and gamma-motoneurones during halothane anaesthesia. J Physiol. 1973 Mar;229(2):319–337. doi: 10.1113/jphysiol.1973.sp010140. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  14. Lennerstrand G., Thoden U. Dynamic analysis of muscle spindle endings in the cat using length changes of different length-time relations. Acta Physiol Scand. 1968 May-Jun;73(1):234–250. doi: 10.1111/j.1748-1716.1968.tb04100.x. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  15. MATTHEWS P. B. MUSCLE SPINDLES AND THEIR MOTOR CONTROL. Physiol Rev. 1964 Apr;44:219–288. doi: 10.1152/physrev.1964.44.2.219. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  16. MATTHEWS P. B. THE RESPONSE OF DE-EFFERENTED MUSCLE SPINDLE RECEPTORS TO STRETCHING AT DIFFERENT VELOCITIES. J Physiol. 1963 Oct;168:660–678. doi: 10.1113/jphysiol.1963.sp007214. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  17. Matthews B. H. Nerve endings in mammalian muscle. J Physiol. 1933 Apr 13;78(1):1–53. doi: 10.1113/jphysiol.1933.sp002984. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  18. Matthews P. B., Stein R. B. The regularity of primary and secondary muscle spindle afferent discharges. J Physiol. 1969 May;202(1):59–82. doi: 10.1113/jphysiol.1969.sp008795. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  19. Matthews P. B., Stein R. B. The sensitivity of muscle spindle afferents to small sinusoidal changes of length. J Physiol. 1969 Feb;200(3):723–743. doi: 10.1113/jphysiol.1969.sp008719. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  20. Pascoe J. E. The effects of ethyl chloride on the muscle spindles of the triceps surae of the rabbit. J Physiol. 1965 Oct;180(4):673–683. doi: 10.1113/jphysiol.1965.sp007723. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  21. Poppele R. E., Bowman R. J. Quantitative description of linear behavior of mammalian muscle spindles. J Neurophysiol. 1970 Jan;33(1):59–72. doi: 10.1152/jn.1970.33.1.59. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  22. RENKIN B. Z., VALLBO A. B. SIMULTANEOUS RESPONSES OF GROUPS I AND II CAT MUSCLE SPINDLE AFFERENTS TO MUSCLE POSITION AND MOVEMENT. J Neurophysiol. 1964 May;27:428–450. doi: 10.1152/jn.1964.27.3.429. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  23. Ruffini A. On the Minute Anatomy of the Neuromuscular Spindles of the Cat, and on their Physiological Significance. J Physiol. 1898 Jul 26;23(3):190–208.3. doi: 10.1113/jphysiol.1898.sp000723. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]

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

RESOURCES