Effects of postural threat on spinal stretch reflexes: evidence for increased muscle spindle sensitivity?

2013 ◽  
Vol 110 (4) ◽  
pp. 899-906 ◽  
Author(s):  
Brian C. Horslen ◽  
Chantelle D. Murnaghan ◽  
J. Timothy Inglis ◽  
Romeo Chua ◽  
Mark G. Carpenter
Keyword(s):  
Muscle Spindle ◽  
Stretch Reflex ◽  
Sensory Information ◽  
Muscle Spindles ◽  
Support Surface ◽  
Stretch Reflexes ◽  
Postural Threat ◽  
Elevated Surface ◽  
Spinal Stretch Reflex ◽  
T Reflex

Standing balance is often threatened in everyday life. These threats typically involve scenarios in which either the likelihood or the consequence of falling is higher than normal. When cats are placed in these scenarios they respond by increasing the sensitivity of muscle spindles imbedded in the leg muscles, presumably to increase balance-relevant afferent information available to the nervous system. At present, it is unknown whether humans also respond to such postural threats by altering muscle spindle sensitivity. Here we present two studies that probed the effects of postural threat on spinal stretch reflexes. In study 1 we manipulated the threat associated with an increased consequence of a fall by having subjects stand at the edge of an elevated surface (3.2 m). In study 2 we manipulated the threat by increasing the likelihood of a fall by occasionally tilting the support surface on which subjects stood. In both scenarios we used Hoffmann (H) and tendon stretch (T) reflexes to probe the spinal stretch reflex circuit of the soleus muscle. We observed increased T-reflex amplitudes and unchanged H-reflex amplitudes in both threat scenarios. These results suggest that the synaptic state of the spinal stretch reflex is unaffected by postural threat and that therefore the muscle spindles activated in the T-reflexes must be more sensitive in the threatening conditions. We propose that this increase in sensitivity may function to satisfy the conflicting needs to restrict movement with threat, while maintaining a certain amount of sensory information related to postural control.

scholarly journals The effects of vibration-induced altered stretch reflex sensitivity on maximal motor unit firing properties

2019 ◽  
Vol 121 (6) ◽  
pp. 2215-2221 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alejandra Barrera-Curiel ◽  
Ryan J. Colquhoun ◽  
Jesus A. Hernandez-Sarabia ◽  
Jason M. DeFreitas
Keyword(s):  
Motor Unit ◽  
Muscle Spindle ◽  
Stretch Reflex ◽  
Muscle Spindles ◽  
Motor Unit Action Potential ◽  
Firing Rates ◽  
Motor Unit Firing ◽  
Firing Properties ◽  
Spindle Function ◽  
Voluntary Strength

It is well known that muscle spindles have a monosynaptic, excitatory connection with α-motoneurons. However, the influence of muscle spindles on human motor unit behavior during maximal efforts remains untested. It has also been shown that muscle spindle function, as assessed by peripheral reflexes, can be systematically manipulated with muscle vibration. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to analyze the effects of brief and prolonged vibration on maximal motor unit firing properties. A crossover design was used, in which each of the 24 participants performed one to three maximal knee extensions under three separate conditions: 1) control, 2) brief vibration that was applied during the contraction, and 3) after prolonged vibration that was applied for ~20 min before the contraction. Multichannel EMG was recorded from the vastus lateralis during each contraction and was decomposed into its constituent motor unit action potential trains. Surprisingly, an approximate 9% reduction in maximal voluntary strength was observed not only after prolonged vibration but also during brief vibration. In addition, both vibration conditions had a large, significant effect on firing rates (a decrease in the rates) and a small to moderate, nonsignificant effect on recruitment thresholds (a small increase in the thresholds). Therefore, vibration had a detrimental influence on both maximal voluntary strength and motor unit firing properties, which we propose is due to altered function of the stretch reflex pathway. NEW & NOTEWORTHY We used vibration to alter muscle spindle function and examined the vibration’s influence on maximal motor unit properties. We discovered that vibration had a detrimental influence on motor unit behavior and motor output by decreasing motor unit firing rates, increasing recruitment thresholds, which led to decreased maximal strength. We believe that understanding the role of muscle spindles during maximal contractions provides a deeper insight into motor control and sensorimotor integration.

scholarly journals Muscle Stiffness and Spinal Stretch Reflex Sensitivity in the Triceps Surae

2008 ◽  
Vol 43 (1) ◽  
pp. 29-36 ◽  
Author(s):  
J. Troy Blackburn ◽  
Darin A. Padua ◽  
Kevin M. Guskiewicz
Keyword(s):  
Muscle Spindle ◽  
Stretch Reflex ◽  
Motor Response ◽  
Triceps Surae ◽  
Joint Stability ◽  
High Stiffness ◽  
Reflex Latency ◽  
Low Stiffness ◽  
Spinal Stretch Reflex ◽  
Musculotendinous Stiffness

Abstract Context: Greater musculotendinous stiffness may enhance spinal stretch reflex sensitivity by improving mechanical coupling of the muscle spindle and the stretch stimulus. This heightened sensitivity would correspond with a shorter latency and higher-amplitude reflex response, potentially enhancing joint stability. Objective: To compare spinal stretch reflex latency and amplitude across groups that differed in musculotendinous stiffness. Design: Static group comparisons. Setting: Research laboratory. Patients or Other Participants: Forty physically active individuals (20 men, 20 women). Intervention(s): We verified a sex difference in musculotendinous stiffness and compared spinal stretch reflex latency and amplitude in high-stiffness (men) and low-stiffness (women) groups. We also evaluated relationships between musculotendinous stiffness and spinal stretch reflex latency and amplitude, respectively. Main Outcome Measure(s): Triceps surae musculotendinous stiffness and soleus spinal stretch reflex latency and amplitude were assessed at 30% of a maximal voluntary isometric plantar-flexion contraction. Results: The high-stiffness group demonstrated significantly greater stiffness (137.41 ± 26.99 N/cm) than the low-stiffness group did (91.06 ± 20.10 N/cm). However, reflex latency (high stiffness = 50.11 ± 2.07 milliseconds, low stiffness = 48.26 ± 2.40 milliseconds) and amplitude (high stiffness = 0.28% ± 0.12% maximum motor response, low stiffness = 0.31% ± 0.16% maximum motor response) did not differ significantly across stiffness groups. Neither reflex latency (r = .053, P = .746) nor amplitude (r = .073, P = .653) was related significantly to musculotendinous stiffness. Conclusions: A moderate level of pretension (eg, 30%) likely eliminates series elastic slack; thus, a greater change in force per unit-of-length change (ie, heightened stiffness) would have minimal effects on coupling of the muscle spindle and the stretch stimulus and, therefore, on spinal stretch reflex sensitivity. It appears unlikely that differences in musculotendinous stiffness influenced spinal stretch reflex sensitivity when initiated from a moderate level of pretension. Consequently, differences in musculotendinous stiffness did not appear to influence dynamic joint stability with respect to reflexive neuromuscular control.

The effects of cold-induced muscle spindle secondary activity on monosynaptic and stretch reflexes in the decerebrate cat

1979 ◽  
Vol 57 (6) ◽  
pp. 606-614 ◽  
Author(s):  
C. E. Chapman ◽  
W. J. Michalski ◽  
J. J. Séguin
Keyword(s):  
Muscle Spindle ◽  
Stretch Reflex ◽  
Synergistic Effects ◽  
Medial Gastrocnemius ◽  
Monosynaptic Reflex ◽  
Lateral Gastrocnemius ◽  
Stretch Reflexes ◽  
Decerebrate Cat ◽  
Muscle Cooling ◽  
Decerebrate Cats

The effects of muscle spindle secondary ending activity on the stretch reflex were studied in unanesthetized decerebrate cats. Activation of secondary endings was accomplished by reducing the muscle temperature. This has been shown to cause a sustained asynchronous discharge from secondary endings. Cooling of the medial gastrocnemius or lateral gastrocnemius–soleus muscles caused an increase in the phasic and tonic components of their stretch reflexes. Cooling of the relaxed medial gastrocnemius muscle caused similar increases in the components of the stretch reflex of the synergistic lateral gastrocnemius–soleus muscle and an increase in its monosynaptic reflex. It was concluded that the facilitatory autogenetic and synergistic effects of muscle cooling on the stretch and monosynaptic reflexes were brought about by activity in group II afferents from muscle spindle secondary endings and could not be ascribed to any other type of muscle receptor. These results support the concept of an excitatory role for the secondary endings of the muscle spindle in the stretch reflex of the decerebrate cat.

scholarly journals Changes in stretch reflexes and muscle stiffness with age in prepubescent children

2007 ◽  
Vol 102 (6) ◽  
pp. 2352-2360 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jean-Francois Grosset ◽  
Isabelle Mora ◽  
Daniel Lambertz ◽  
Chantal Pérot
Keyword(s):  
Stretch Reflex ◽  
Motor Response ◽  
Muscle Stiffness ◽  
Triceps Surae ◽  
Reflex Response ◽  
Passive Stiffness ◽  
Hoffmann Reflex ◽  
Stretch Reflexes ◽  
T Reflex ◽  
Tendon Jerk

Musculo-articular stiffness of the triceps surae (TS) increases with age in prepubescent children, under both passive and active conditions. This study investigates whether these changes in muscle stiffness influence the amplitude of the reflex response to muscle stretch. TS stiffness and reflex activities were measured in 46 children (7–11 yr old) and in 9 adults. The TS Hoffmann reflex (H reflex) and T reflex (tendon jerk) in response to taping the Achilles tendon were evaluated at rest and normalized to the maximal motor response (Mmax). Sinusoidal perturbations of passive or activated muscles were used to evoke stretch reflexes and to measure passive and active musculoarticular stiffness. The children's Hmax-to-Mmax ratio did not change with age and did not differ from adult values. The T-to-Mmax ratio increased with age but remained significantly lower than in adults. Passive stiffness also increased with age and was correlated with the T-to-Mmax ratio. Similarly, the children's stretch reflex and active musculoarticular stiffness were significantly correlated and increased with age. We conclude that prepubescent children have smaller T reflexes and stretch reflexes than adults, and the lower musculoarticular stiffness is mainly responsible for these smaller reflexes, as indicated by the parallel increases in reflex and stiffness.

scholarly journals The vestibular system does not modulate fusimotor drive to muscle spindles in relaxed leg muscles of subjects in a near-vertical position

2016 ◽  
Vol 115 (5) ◽  
pp. 2529-2535 ◽  
Author(s):  
T. P. Knellwolf ◽  
E. Hammam ◽  
V. G. Macefield
Keyword(s):  
Muscle Spindle ◽  
Vestibular System ◽  
Human Subjects ◽  
Common Peroneal Nerve ◽  
Muscle Spindles ◽  
Vestibular Stimulation ◽  
Galvanic Vestibular Stimulation ◽  
Vertical Position ◽  
Leg Muscles ◽  
Postural Threat

It has been shown that sinusoidal galvanic vestibular stimulation (sGVS) has no effect on the firing of spontaneously active muscle spindles in either relaxed or voluntarily contracting human leg muscles. However, all previous studies have been conducted on subjects in a seated position. Given that independent vestibular control of muscle spindle firing would be more valuable during postural threat, we tested the hypothesis that this modulation would become apparent for subjects in a near-vertical position. Unitary recordings were made from 18 muscle spindle afferents via tungsten microelectrodes inserted percutaneously into the common peroneal nerve of awake human subjects laying supine on a motorized tilt table. All recorded spindle afferents were spontaneously active at rest, and each increased its firing rate during a weak static contraction. Sinusoidal bipolar binaural galvanic vestibular stimulation (±2 mA, 100 cycles) was applied to the mastoid processes at 0.8 Hz. This continuous stimulation produced a sustained illusion of “rocking in a boat” or “swinging in a hammock.” The subject was then moved into a near-vertical position (75°), and the stimulation repeated. Despite robust vestibular illusions, none of the fusimotor-driven spindles exhibited phase-locked modulation of firing during sinusoidal GVS in either position. We conclude that this dynamic vestibular stimulus was insufficient to modulate the firing of fusimotor neurons in the near-vertical position. However, this does not mean that the vestibular system cannot modulate the sensitivity of muscle spindles via fusimotor neurons in free unsupported standing, when reliance on proprioceptive feedback is higher.

The 1989 James A. F. Stevenson Memorial Lecture. The knee jerk: still an enigma?

1990 ◽  
Vol 68 (3) ◽  
pp. 347-354 ◽  
Author(s):  
Peter B. C. Matthews
Keyword(s):  
Muscle Spindle ◽  
Stretch Reflex ◽  
Position Sense ◽  
Muscle Afferents ◽  
Normal Function ◽  
Memorial Lecture ◽  
Stretch Reflexes ◽  
Knee Jerk ◽  
Long Latency ◽  
Tendon Reflex

This is a wide-ranging review of muscle proprioceptors, intended primarily for the nonspecialist. It emphasizes how much more they are concerned with, than just the production of the knee jerk; it concentrates on principle rather than documenting detail and cites selectively. The main topics covered are the effect of deafferentation, position sense, the proprioceptors themselves, the control of the muscle spindle by the CNS, and spinal and long-latency "stretch" reflexes. The emphasis is on human work. The knee jerk itself is seen as a "physiological artefact," resulting from a mode of stimulation that does not occur in life, with the normal function of its underlying circuitry still under debate.Key words: tendon reflex, stretch reflex, muscle afferents.

scholarly journals Muscle spindle responses to horizontal support surface perturbation in the anesthetized cat: insights into the role of autogenic feedback in whole body postural control

2012 ◽  
Vol 108 (5) ◽  
pp. 1253-1261 ◽  
Author(s):  
Claire F. Honeycutt ◽  
Paul Nardelli ◽  
Timothy C. Cope ◽  
T. Richard Nichols
Keyword(s):  
Muscle Spindle ◽  
Muscle Activation ◽  
Muscle Spindles ◽  
Primary Objective ◽  
Whole Body ◽  
Support Surface ◽  
Muscle Spindle Afferents ◽  
Small Perturbations ◽  
Muscle Response ◽  
Intact Limb

Intact cats and humans respond to support surface perturbations with broadly tuned, directionally sensitive muscle activation. These muscle responses are further sensitive to initial stance widths (distance between feet) and perturbation velocity. The sensory origins driving these responses are not known, and conflicting hypotheses are prevalent in the literature. We hypothesize that the direction-, stance-width-, and velocity-sensitive muscle response during support surface perturbations is driven largely by rapid autogenic proprioceptive pathways. The primary objective of this study was to obtain direct evidence for our hypothesis by establishing that muscle spindle receptors in the intact limb can provide appropriate information to drive the muscle response to whole body postural perturbations. Our second objective was to determine if spindle recordings from the intact limb generate the heightened sensitivity to small perturbations that has been reported in isolated muscle experiments. Maintenance of this heightened sensitivity would indicate that muscle spindles are highly proficient at detecting even small disturbances, suggesting they can provide efficient feedback about changing postural conditions. We performed intraaxonal recordings from muscle spindles in anesthetized cats during horizontal, hindlimb perturbations. We indeed found that muscle spindle afferents in the intact limb generate broadly tuned but directionally sensitive activation patterns. These afferents were also sensitive to initial stance widths and perturbation velocities. Finally, we found that afferents in the intact limb have heightened sensitivity to small perturbations. We conclude that muscle spindle afferents provide an array of important information about biomechanics and perturbation characteristics highlighting their potential importance in generating appropriate muscular response during a postural disturbance.

Statistical Considerations When Assessing Short Latency Stretch Reflexes in the Human Soleus Muscle

Motor Control ◽  
2015 ◽  
Vol 19 (4) ◽  
pp. 253-270 ◽  
Author(s):  
Asger Roer Pedersen ◽  
Peter William Stubbs ◽  
Jørgen Feldbæk Nielsen
Keyword(s):  
Ankle Joint ◽  
Soleus Muscle ◽  
Stretch Reflex ◽  
Short Latency ◽  
Response Magnitude ◽  
Variance Heterogeneity ◽  
Stretch Reflexes ◽  
Response Characteristics ◽  
Normally Distributed

The aim was to investigate trial-by-trial response characteristics in the short-latency stretch reflex (SSR). Fourteen dorsiflexion stretches were applied to the ankle joint with a precontracted soleus muscle on 2 days. The magnitude and variability of trial-by-trial responses of the SSR were assessed. The SSR was log-normally distributed and variance heterogeneous between subjects. For some subjects, the magnitude and variance differed between days and stretches. As velocity increased, variance heterogeneity tended to decrease and response magnitude increased. The current study demonstrates the need to assess trial-by-trial response characteristics and not averaged curves. Moreover, it provides an analysis of SSR characteristics accounting for log-normally distributed and variance heterogeneous trial-by-trial responses.

scholarly journals Deal Breaker: Semaphorin and Specificity in the Spinal Stretch Reflex Circuit

Neuron ◽  
2009 ◽  
Vol 63 (1) ◽  
pp. 8-11 ◽  
Author(s):  
Géraldine S. Maro ◽  
Kang Shen ◽  
Hwai-Jong Cheng
Keyword(s):  
Stretch Reflex ◽  
Spinal Stretch Reflex

Postural sway with earth-fixed and body-referenced finger contact in young and older adults

1999 ◽  
Vol 9 (2) ◽  
pp. 103-109
Author(s):  
Reginald L. Reginella ◽  
Mark S. Redfern ◽  
Joseph M. Furman
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Postural Sway ◽  
Center Of Pressure ◽  
Sensory Information ◽  
Body Sway ◽  
Support Surface ◽  
Proprioceptive Information ◽  
Postural Control System ◽  
Fixed Reference ◽  
Older Subjects

Sensory information from lightly touching a reference with the hand is known to influence postural sway in young adults. The primary aim of this study was to compare the influence of finger contact (FC) with an earth-fixed reference to the influence of FC with a body-fixed reference. A second goal of this study was to determine if FC is used differently by older adults compared to younger adults. Using a force plate, center of pressure at the feet was recorded from blindfolded young and older subjects during several conditions. Subjects either did or did not lightly touch a force-sensitive plate that was either earth-fixed or moved forward and backward in synchrony with body sway (that is, sway-referenced). In addition, support surface conditions were also varied, including a fixed floor and a sway-referenced floor using an EquitestTM. Results showed that the type of FC, floor condition, and age each had an effect on postural sway. Touching an earth-fixed plate decreased postural sway as compared to no touching, while touching a sway-referenced plate incresased sway. This influence of FC was enhanced when the floor was sway-referenced. Although older subjects swayed more than young subjects overall, no age-FC interactions occurred, indicating that FC was not utilized differently between the age groups. This study suggests that FC cannot be disregarded as erroneous, especially when proprioceptive information from the legs is distorted. Further, FC is integrated with other sensory information by the postural control system similarly in young and older persons.

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