Effect of Breathing 7% Carbon Dioxide on the Human Soleus Hoffmann Reflex Recruitment Curve

The Hoffmann reflex has been the tool most commonly used in exercise studies to investigate modulations in spinal excitability. However, the evolution of electromyographic responses with the increase in stimulation intensity has rarely been assessed when the muscle is active. The purpose of this study was thus to identify that part of the recruitment curve at which the investigation of the Hoffmann reflex is the most reliable in assessing spinal excitability during muscle contraction. Two recruitment curves were determined from the soleus and the medialis gastrocnemius, in passive and active (50% of maximal isometric voluntary contraction) conditions. No differences were found between the H reflexes in the two conditions in the ascending part of the recruitment curves, while the intensity necessary to elicit the same percentage of maximal H wave was different in the descending part of the curve, up to the maximal M wave. We concluded that during motor tasks, changes in spinal excitability should be assessed by recording H responses in the ascending part of the curve, where modulations do not depend either on the background electrical activity of the muscle tested or on methodological considerations.

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A sigmoid function is the best fit for the ascending limb of the Hoffmann reflex recruitment curve

Experimental Brain Research ◽

10.1007/s00221-007-1207-6 ◽

2007 ◽

Vol 186 (1) ◽

pp. 93-105 ◽

Cited By ~ 66

Author(s):

Marc Klimstra ◽

E. Paul Zehr

Keyword(s):

Sigmoid Function ◽

Hoffmann Reflex ◽

Recruitment Curve ◽

Best Fit

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Electron Cytochemical Study of Carbon Dioxide Laser Effect on Rhesus Monkey Cornea

Proceedings, annual meeting, Electron Microscopy Society of America ◽

10.1017/s042482010005113x ◽

1974 ◽

Vol 32 ◽

pp. 224-225

Author(s):

K. C. Tsou ◽

J. Morris ◽

P. Shawaluk ◽

B. Stuck ◽

E. Beatrice

Keyword(s):

Carbon Dioxide ◽

Electron Microscope ◽

Rhesus Monkey ◽

Carbon Dioxide Laser ◽

Cytochemical Study ◽

Laser Effect

While much is known regarding the effect of lasers on the retina, little study has been done on the effect of lasers on cornea, because of the limitation of the size of the material. Using a combination of electron microscope and several newly developed cytochemical methods, the effect of laser can now be studied on eye for the purpose of correlating functional and morphological damage. The present paper illustrates such study with CO2 laser on Rhesus monkey.

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The Critical Point Drying Method Applied to Scanning Electron Microscopy of L-929 Cells

Proceedings, annual meeting, Electron Microscopy Society of America ◽

10.1017/s0424820100068382 ◽

1970 ◽

Vol 28 ◽

pp. 278-279

Author(s):

Charles TurnbiLL ◽

Delbert E. Philpott

Keyword(s):

Electron Microscopy ◽

Carbon Dioxide ◽

Surface Tension ◽

Critical Point ◽

Freeze Drying ◽

Attractive Alternative ◽

Crystal Formation ◽

Critical Point Drying ◽

Time Required ◽

Scanning Electron

The advent of the scanning electron microscope (SCEM) has renewed interest in preparing specimens by avoiding the forces of surface tension. The present method of freeze drying by Boyde and Barger (1969) and Small and Marszalek (1969) does prevent surface tension but ice crystal formation and time required for pumping out the specimen to dryness has discouraged us. We believe an attractive alternative to freeze drying is the critical point method originated by Anderson (1951; for electron microscopy. He avoided surface tension effects during drying by first exchanging the specimen water with alcohol, amy L acetate and then with carbon dioxide. He then selected a specific temperature (36.5°C) and pressure (72 Atm.) at which carbon dioxide would pass from the liquid to the gaseous phase without the effect of surface tension This combination of temperature and, pressure is known as the "critical point" of the Liquid.

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