Skip to main content
NCBI home page
Journal of Neurology, Neurosurgery, and Psychiatry logoLink to Journal of Neurology, Neurosurgery, and Psychiatry
. 1972 Oct;35(5):589–598. doi: 10.1136/jnnp.35.5.589

Voluntary and reflex control of the biceps brachii muscle in spastic-athetotic patients

Peter D Neilson 1,2,3,1
PMCID: PMC494137  PMID: 4343479

Abstract

A cross-correlation technique of analysis was used to measure the transmission characteristics of tonic stretch reflex (TSR) pathways in spastic-athetoid subjects sustaining a voluntary contraction in the biceps brachii muscle. A comparison was made with the transmission characteristics of normal subjects measured by the same technique. It was found that gain and phase characteristics of spastic patients did not display the large resonant peaks present in normals. It is proposed that the resonant peaks in the TSR transmission of normal subjects were caused by long loop pathways. The absence of these peaks in the spastic patients supports the hypothesis that short-circuiting of long loop pathways by hyperactive spinal reflexes is part of the mechanism of spasticity.

Full text

PDF
589

Selected References

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

  1. Andersson S. A., Landgren S., Wolsk D. The thalamic relay and cortical projection of group I muscle afferents from the forelimb of the cat. J Physiol. 1966 Apr;183(3):576–591. doi: 10.1113/jphysiol.1966.sp007885. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  2. Burke D., Andrews C. J., Gillies J. D. The reflex response to sinusoidal stretching in spastic man. Brain. 1971;94(3):455–470. doi: 10.1093/brain/94.3.455. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  3. De Gail P., Lance J. W., Neilson P. D. Differential effects on tonic and phasic reflex mechanisms produced by vibration of muscles in man. J Neurol Neurosurg Psychiatry. 1966 Feb;29(1):1–11. doi: 10.1136/jnnp.29.1.1. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  4. Dewhurst D. J. Neuromuscular control system. IEEE Trans Biomed Eng. 1967 Jul;14(3):167–171. doi: 10.1109/tbme.1967.4502494. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  5. Evarts E. V. Relation of pyramidal tract activity to force exerted during voluntary movement. J Neurophysiol. 1968 Jan;31(1):14–27. doi: 10.1152/jn.1968.31.1.14. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  6. Gillies J. D., Burke D. J., Lance J. W. Tonic vibration reflex in the cat. J Neurophysiol. 1971 Mar;34(2):252–262. doi: 10.1152/jn.1971.34.2.252. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  7. Grillner S., Hongo T., Lund S. Descending monosynaptic and reflex control of gamma-motoneurones. Acta Physiol Scand. 1969 Apr;75(4):592–613. doi: 10.1111/j.1748-1716.1969.tb04414.x. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  8. HAMMOND P. H. Involuntary activity in biceps following the sudden application of velocity to the abducted forearm. J Physiol. 1955 Feb 28;127(2):23–5P. [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  9. HIGGINS D. C., PARTRIDGE L. D., GLASER G. H. A transient cerebellar influence on stretch responses. J Neurophysiol. 1962 Sep;25:684–692. doi: 10.1152/jn.1962.25.5.684. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  10. Hagbarth K. E., Eklund G. The effects of muscle vibration in spasticity, rigidity, and cerebellar disorders. J Neurol Neurosurg Psychiatry. 1968 Jun;31(3):207–213. doi: 10.1136/jnnp.31.3.207. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  11. Jansen J. K., Poppele R. E., Terzuolo C. A. Transmission of proprioceptive information via the dorsal spinocerebellar tract. Brain Res. 1967 Oct;6(2):382–384. doi: 10.1016/0006-8993(67)90206-5. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  12. KUNO M., PERL E. R. Alteration of spinal reflexes by interaction with suprasegmental and dorsal root activity. J Physiol. 1960 Apr;151:103–122. [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  13. LUNDBERG A. SUPRASPINAL CONTROL OF TRANSMISSION IN REFLEX PATHS TO MOTONEURONES AND PRIMARY AFFERENTS. Prog Brain Res. 1964;12:197–221. doi: 10.1016/s0079-6123(08)60624-x. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  14. LUNDBERG A., WINSBURY G. Functional organization of the dorsal spino-cerebellar tract in the cat. VI. Further experiments on excitation from tendon organ and muscle spindle afferents. Acta Physiol Scand. 1960 Jul 15;49:165–170. doi: 10.1111/j.1748-1716.1960.tb01940.x. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  15. Lundberg A. The supraspinal control of transmission in spinal reflex pathways. Electroencephalogr Clin Neurophysiol. 1967;(Suppl):35–46. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  16. MATTHEWS P. B., PHILLIPS C. G., RUSHWORTH G. Afferent systems converging upon cerebellar Purkinje cells in the frog. Q J Exp Physiol Cogn Med Sci. 1958 Jan;43(1):38–52. doi: 10.1113/expphysiol.1958.sp001306. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  17. Matthews P. B. The reflex excitation of the soleus muscle of the decerebrate cat caused by vibbration applied to its tendon. J Physiol. 1966 May;184(2):450–472. doi: 10.1113/jphysiol.1966.sp007926. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  18. Narabayashi H., Goto A., Kubota K. Projection of muscle afferents to the human thalamus. Proc Aust Assoc Neurol. 1968;5(1):25–26. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  19. Neilson P. D. Frequency-response characteristics of the tonic stretch reflexes of biceps brachii muscle in intact man. Med Biol Eng. 1972 Jul;10(4):460–472. doi: 10.1007/BF02474194. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  20. Neilson P. D. Speed of response or bandwidth of voluntary system controlling elbow position in intact man. Med Biol Eng. 1972 Jul;10(4):450–459. doi: 10.1007/BF02474193. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  21. OSCARSSON O., ROSEN I. PROJECTION TO CEREBRAL CORTEX OF LARGE MUSCLE-SPINDLE AFFERENTS IN FORELIMB NERVES OF THE CAT. J Physiol. 1963 Dec;169:924–945. doi: 10.1113/jphysiol.1963.sp007305. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  22. Oscarsson O., Rosén I., Sulg I. Organization of neurones in the cat cerebral cortex that are influenced from group I muscle afferents. J Physiol. 1966 Mar;183(1):189–210. doi: 10.1113/jphysiol.1966.sp007860. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  23. Poppele R. E., Terzuolo C. A. Myotatic reflex: its input-output relation. Science. 1968 Feb 16;159(3816):743–745. doi: 10.1126/science.159.3816.743. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  24. Rosenthal N. P., McKean T. A., Roberts W. J., Terzuolo C. A. Frequency analysis of stretch reflex and its main subsystems in triceps surae muscles of the cat. J Neurophysiol. 1970 Nov;33(6):713–749. doi: 10.1152/jn.1970.33.6.713. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  25. SHIMAMURA M., LIVINGSTON R. B. Longitudinal conduction systems serving spinal and brain-stem coordination. J Neurophysiol. 1963 Mar;26:258–272. doi: 10.1152/jn.1963.26.2.258. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  26. SHIMAMURA M., MORI S., MATSUSHIMA S., FUJIMORI B. ON THE SPINO-BULBO-SPINAL REFLEX IN DOGS, MONKEYS AND MAN. Jpn J Physiol. 1964 Aug 15;14:411–421. doi: 10.2170/jjphysiol.14.411. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  27. Taborikova H., Provini L., Decandia M. Evidence that muscle stretch long-loop reflexes from higher centres. Brain Res. 1966 Aug;2(2):192–194. doi: 10.1016/0006-8993(66)90026-6. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  28. Yap C. B. Spinal segmental and long-loop reflexes on spinal motoneurone excitability in spasticity and rigidity. Brain. 1967 Dec;90(4):887–896. doi: 10.1093/brain/90.4.887. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]

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

RESOURCES