Modulation of Soleus H-Reflexes During Gait in Children With Cerebral Palsy

In healthy adults, soleus H-reflexes are rhythmically modulated and generally depressed during gait compared with rest. From ages 6 to 13 yr, there is a progressive increase in the tonic inhibition of H-reflexes during walking, especially during the stance phase of the step cycle. In adults, rhythmic modulation and tonic depression are severely disturbed after bilateral spinal lesions but remain partly preserved after unilateral cerebral lesions. Children with diplegic cerebral palsy (CP) suffer from a bilateral supraspinal lesion of the corticospinal tract that occurs before the maturation of the CNS is complete. If supraspinal structures are involved in the tonic, but not rhythmic, age-dependent reflex depression, it could be hypothesized that the tonic reflex depression with age is disturbed in CP, whereas the rhythmic part of the modulation remains unaffected. To test this hypothesis, soleus H-reflexes were assessed during gait in 16 CP children aged 5–11 and 15–16 and compared with 25 age-matched healthy children walking at similar velocities. Although the rhythmic part of the modulation pattern was present in CP, there was no significant tonic reflex depression with age, thus reflecting a lack of maturation of the corticospinal tract. It is argued the rhythmic part of the modulation may be generated on a spinal or brain stem level and is therefore not affected by the bilateral supraspinal lesion, whereas the tonic depression that occurs with maturation of the CNS is under supraspinal control. In conclusion, the supraspinal structures affected in CP are therefore likely involved in this age-dependent tonic depression.

Attenuation of the colorectal tonic reflex in female patients with irritable bowel syndrome

Alterations in normal intestinointestinal reflexes may be important contributors to the pathophysiology of irritable bowel syndrome (IBS). Our aims were to compare the rectal tonic responses to colonic distension in female IBS patients with predominant constipation (IBS-C) and with predominant diarrhea (IBS-D) to those in healthy females, both fasting and postprandially. Using a dual barostat assembly, 2-min colonic phasic distensions were performed during fasting and postprandially. Rectal tone was recorded before, during, and after the phasic distension. Colonic compliance and colonic sensitivity in response to the distension were also evaluated fasting and postprandially. Eight IBS-C patients, 8 IBS-D patients, and 8 age- and sex-matched healthy subjects ( group N) participated. The fasting increments in rectal tone in response to colonic distension in both IBS-C (rectal balloon volume change −4.6 ± 6.1 ml) and IBS-D (−7.9 ± 4.9 ml) were significantly reduced compared with group N (−34 ± 9.7 ml, P = 0.01). Similar findings were observed postprandially ( P = 0.02). When adjusted for the colonic compliance of individual subjects, the degree of attenuation in the rectal tonic response in IBS compared with group N was maintained (fasting P = 0.007; postprandial P = 0.03). When adjusted for colonic sensitivity there was a trend for the attenuation in the rectal tonic response in IBS patients compared with group N to be maintained (fasting P = 0.07, postprandial P = 0.08). IBS patients display a definite attenuation of the normal increase in rectal tone in response to colonic distension (colorectal reflex), fasting and postprandially. Alterations in colonic compliance and sensitivity in IBS are not likely to contribute to such attenuation.

Circulatory responses to onset of exercise: role of arterial and cardiac baroreflexes

Six rabbits were exercised on a moving belt at 13 m/min for 60's. Heart rate (HR), mean arterial pressure (MAP), cardiac index (CI), and systemic vascular resistance index (SVRI) were measured. Exercise was done under the following four permutations of input from baroreceptors (B) and cardiac receptors (C): BC, both inputs present; B, only baroreceptor input (intrapericardial procaine); C, only cardiac receptor input (surgical barodenervation); 0, both inputs deleted. The reflex effects on SVRI of the two inputs were calculated as (B - 0) and (C - 0) and their interaction as (BC - 0) - [(B - 0) + (C - 0)]. The effects of baroreceptor input plus interaction on all cardiovascular variables were also calculated, as (BC - C). At rest, (B - 0) and (C - 0) each tonically depressed SVRI without interacting, and (BC - C) tonically depressed SVRI, MAP, and HR. Within 10 s of the start of exercise these tonic effects were abolished, although a small, SVRI-lowering interaction appeared. Suppression of the tonic reflex effects of arterial baroreceptor and cardiac receptor input supported systemic vascular resistance at the onset of exercise and contributed to the rise of arterial pressure.

Ventilatory responses to muscular vibrations in healthy humans

In healthy humans, we studied the effect of high-frequency mechanical vibrations applied unilaterally to the tendon of the biceps or triceps brachialis on ventilation and the breathing pattern. This stimulus preferentially activates the muscle spindle afferents. Increase of respiratory frequency and changes in the ventilatory timing started at the first or second inspiration during tendon stimulation, and no adaptation occurred as long as the vibrations continued. The tidal volume and mean inspiratory flow rate were only enhanced in individuals having high-frequency breathing during eupnea. The changes in ventilatory variables were observed when the motor response to vibrations was tested under isometric or isotonic conditions. Various experimental procedures enabled us to induce a tonic reflex contraction in either the vibrated muscle or the antagonist of no reflex contraction in either group of muscles. In all cases the increase in minute ventilation was identical. These changes in breathing pattern was not associated with a significant decrease in alveolar CO2 pressure and did not seem to be responsible for important variations in respiratory gas exchanges. The response to high-frequency vibrations was also studied after ventilation was increased with added dead space. The magnitude of hyperventilation an the pattern of ventilatory response produced by tendon stimulation did not change with increased ventilation. In conclusion, the stimulation of muscle spindles in human induces changes in ventilation and pattern of breathing , and the occurrence of a reflex muscular contraction does not seem necessary in order to obtain such effects.