Skip to main content
NCBI home page
Journal of Neurology, Neurosurgery, and Psychiatry logoLink to Journal of Neurology, Neurosurgery, and Psychiatry
. 1978 Mar;41(3):226–231. doi: 10.1136/jnnp.41.3.226

Human muscle afferent responses to tendon taps. 2. Effects of variations in fusimotor bias.

K S Murthy, P L Gildenberg, W Seeliger-Petersen
PMCID: PMC493001  PMID: 147323

Abstract

The effect of varying the fusimotor bias on the muscle spindle responses to light tendon taps has been studied in normal human volunteers using surface electrodes at the wrist for recording whole nerve activity. Reinforcement manoeuvres were found to increase the sensitivity of the afferent responses to the mechanical stimulus. Such sensitisation was found to be exhibited more commonly as a decrease in the latency of the peak of the afferent waveform than as an increase in amplitude. Increase in amplitude of the response was seen in cases where the subject was well relaxed and the test muscle quiescent. A change in furimotor drive was also achieved by asking the subjects to close their eyes voluntarily during the test, thus depriving themselves of the visual feedback. The results under these conditions were found to be variable, though showing considerable changes from control recordings. The effect of reinforcement manoeuvres may perhaps result in increasing the dynamic fusimotor drive. Such an effect may be simulated on occluding the blood supply to the test muscle since ischaemia produces an immediate rise in the rate of afferent discharge. The method of recording is suggested as a convenient technique for clinical use.

Full text

PDF
226

Selected References

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

  1. BULLER A. J., DORNHORST A. C. The reinforcement of tendon-reflexes. Lancet. 1957 Dec 21;273(7008):1260–1262. doi: 10.1016/s0140-6736(57)91542-8. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  2. Bishop B., Machover S., Johnston R., Anderson M. A quantitative assessment of gamma-motoneuron contribution to the achilles tendon reflex in normal subjects. Arch Phys Med Rehabil. 1968 Mar;49(3):145–154. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  3. GASSEL M. M., DIAMANTOPOULOS E. THE JENDRASSIK MANEUVER. I. THE PATTERN OF REINFORCEMENT OF MONOSYNAPTIC REFLEXES IN NORMAL SUBJECTS AND PATIENTS WITH SPASTICITY OF RIGIDITY. Neurology. 1964 Jun;14:555–560. doi: 10.1212/wnl.14.6.555. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  4. GASSEL M. M., DIAMTOPOULOS E. THE JENDRASSIK MANEUVER. II. AN ANALYSIS OF THE MECHANISM. Neurology. 1964 Jul;14:640–642. doi: 10.1212/wnl.14.7.640. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  5. Gottlieb G. L., Agarwal G. C. Modulation of postural reflexes by voluntary movement. II. Modulation at an inactive joint. J Neurol Neurosurg Psychiatry. 1973 Aug;36(4):540–546. doi: 10.1136/jnnp.36.4.540. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  6. Granit R. The functional role of the muscle spindles--facts and hypotheses. Brain. 1975 Dec;98(4):531–556. doi: 10.1093/brain/98.4.531. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  7. Hagbarth K. E., Vallbo A. B. Discharge characteristics of human muscle afferents during muscle stretch and contraction. Exp Neurol. 1968 Dec;22(4):674–694. doi: 10.1016/0014-4886(68)90156-8. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  8. Hagbarth K. E., Wallin G., Burke D., Löfstedt L. Effects of the Jendrassik manoeuvre on muscle spindle activity in man. J Neurol Neurosurg Psychiatry. 1975 Dec;38(12):1143–1153. doi: 10.1136/jnnp.38.12.1143. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  9. LUNDBERG A., WINSBURY G. Selective adequate activation of large afferents from muscle spindles and Golgi tendon organs. Acta Physiol Scand. 1960 Jul 15;49:155–164. doi: 10.1111/j.1748-1716.1960.tb01939.x. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  10. Murthy K. S., Deshpande S. S. Differential sensitivity of primary and secondary spindle afferents to depressant drugs. Brain Res. 1974 Oct 11;79(1):89–99. doi: 10.1016/0006-8993(74)90568-x. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  11. Murthy K. S., Gildenberg P. L., Seeliger-Petersen W. Human muscle afferent responses to tendon taps. I. Characteristics of the waveform recorded with transcutaneous electrodes. J Neurol Neurosurg Psychiatry. 1978 Mar;41(3):220–225. doi: 10.1136/jnnp.41.3.220. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  12. PAINTAL A. S. Facilitation and depression of muscle stretch receptors by repetitive antidromic stimulation, adrenaline and asphyxia. J Physiol. 1959 Oct;148:252–266. doi: 10.1113/jphysiol.1959.sp006286. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  13. Stein R. B. Peripheral control of movement. Physiol Rev. 1974 Jan;54(1):215–243. doi: 10.1152/physrev.1974.54.1.215. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  14. Stuart D. G., Mosher C. G., Gerlach R. L., Reinking R. M. Selective activation of Ia afferents by transient muscle stretch. Exp Brain Res. 1970 Jun 25;10(5):477–487. doi: 10.1007/BF00234264. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  15. Szumski A. J., Burg D., Struppler A., Velho F. Activity of muscle spindles during muscle twitch and clonus in normal and spastic human subjects. Electroencephalogr Clin Neurophysiol. 1974 Dec;37(6):589–597. doi: 10.1016/0013-4694(74)90072-8. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]

Articles from Journal of Neurology, Neurosurgery, and Psychiatry are provided here courtesy of BMJ Publishing Group

RESOURCES