Brain, Vol. 113, No. 5, 1563-1581, 1990
© 1990 Guarantors of Brain
research-article |
VOLUNTARY ACTIVATION OF HUMAN MOTOR AXONS IN THE ABSENCE OF MUSCLE AFFERENT FEEDBACK
THE CONTROL OF THE DEAFFERENTED HAND
The Department of Clinical Neurophysiology, Institute of Neurological Sciences Sydney, Australia 1Department of Respiratory Medicine. The Prince Henry and Prince of Wales Hospitals and School of Medicine, University of New South Wales Sydney, Australia
Correspondence to:
Correspondence to: Dr S.C.Gandevia, Department of Clinical Neurophysiology, The Prince Henry Hospital, PO Box 233, Matraville, NSW 2036, Sydney, Australia.
The ability to activate human motoneurons supplying individual intrinsic muscles of the hand was examined during acute deafferentation of the muscles. Tungsten microelectrodes were inserted percutaneously into motor fascicles of the ulner nerve of 5 subjects, which was then blocked distally with local anaesthetic. In 4 subjects unitary action potentials were recorded from 16 motor axons, which were identified with respect to their target muscles. In the completed absence of muscle afferent feedback, subject could voluntarily recruit motoneurons, grade their discharge and sustain a constant level of activity. Significant facilitation of motor efforts was providing by cutaneous feedback from the digits via the median nerve. During attempted maximal voluntary efforts the mean discharge frequencies of single motor axons were significantly lower than those of normally-innervated motor units. This finding suggests that peripheral afferents have a net facilitatory influence on motoneurons. However, during prolonged (20–30 s) maximal voluntary efforts the deafferented montoneurons did not display the progressive decline in discharge frequency shown by normally-innervated motor units during contractile fatigue, a finding consitent with who possible explanations: disfacilitation or reflex inhibition of the motoneuron pool by peripheral afferents. The results also indicate that the otherwise intact nervous system can perform some simple motor tasks with no proprioceptive input other than knowledge of the motor commands. Other factors may contribute to the poor motor performance reported for patients with severe sensory deficits.
Received May 26, 1989. Revised September 19, 1989. Accepted December 12, 1989.
CiteULike 
Connotea 
Del.icio.us What's this?
This article has been cited by other articles:
|
|
 |
|
  H. van Duinen, W. S. Yu, and S. C. Gandevia Limited ability to extend the digits of the human hand independently with extensor digitorum J. Physiol., October 15, 2009; 587(20): 4799 - 4810. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
 |
|
 A. M. Simon, B. M. Kelly, and D. P. Ferris Sense of Effort Determines Lower Limb Force Production During Dynamic Movement in Individuals With Poststroke Hemiparesis Neurorehabil Neural Repair, October 1, 2009; 23(8): 811 - 818. [Abstract] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
 |
|
 C. Suetta, L. G. Hvid, L. Justesen, U. Christensen, K. Neergaard, L. Simonsen, N. Ortenblad, S. P. Magnusson, M. Kjaer, and P. Aagaard Effects of aging on human skeletal muscle after immobilization and retraining J Appl Physiol, October 1, 2009; 107(4): 1172 - 1180. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
 |
|
 M. A. Minetto, A. Holobar, A. Botter, and D. Farina Discharge Properties of Motor Units of the Abductor Hallucis Muscle During Cramp Contractions J Neurophysiol, September 1, 2009; 102(3): 1890 - 1901. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
B. W. Hoffman, T. Oya, T. J. Carroll, and A. G. Cresswell Increases in corticospinal responsiveness during a sustained submaximal plantar flexion J Appl Physiol, July 1, 2009; 107(1): 112 - 120. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
D. Farina, M. Pozzo, M. Lanzetta, and R. M. Enoka Discharge Variability of Motor Units in an Intrinsic Muscle of Transplanted Hand J Neurophysiol, May 1, 2008; 99(5): 2232 - 2240. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
M. D. de Boer, C. N. Maganaris, O. R. Seynnes, M. J. Rennie, and M. V. Narici Time course of muscular, neural and tendinous adaptations to 23 day unilateral lower-limb suspension in young men J. Physiol., September 15, 2007; 583(3): 1079 - 1091. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
J. M. Kalmar and E. Cafarelli Central excitability does not limit postfatigue voluntary activation of quadriceps femoris J Appl Physiol, June 1, 2006; 100(6): 1757 - 1764. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
 |
|
 P. G. Martin, J. L. Smith, J. E. Butler, S. C. Gandevia, and J. L. Taylor Fatigue-sensitive afferents inhibit extensor but not flexor motoneurons in humans. J. Neurosci., May 3, 2006; 26(18): 4796 - 4802. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
T. J Butler, S. L Kilbreath, R. B Gorman, and S. C Gandevia Selective recruitment of single motor units in human flexor digitorum superficialis muscle during flexion of individual fingers J. Physiol., August 15, 2005; 567(1): 301 - 309. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
D. Farina, M. Gazzoni, and F. Camelia Conduction velocity of low-threshold motor units during ischemic contractions performed with surface EMG feedback J Appl Physiol, April 1, 2005; 98(4): 1487 - 1494. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
J. E. Butler, J. L. Taylor, and S. C. Gandevia Responses of Human Motoneurons to Corticospinal Stimulation during Maximal Voluntary Contractions and Ischemia J. Neurosci., November 12, 2003; 23(32): 10224 - 10230. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
A. J Fuglevand and D. A Keen Re-evaluation of muscle wisdom in the human adductor pollicis using physiological rates of stimulation J. Physiol., June 15, 2003; 549(3): 865 - 875. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
 |
|
 C. Cappelen-Smith, C. S.-Y. Lin, and D. Burke Activity-dependent hyperpolarization and impulse conduction in motor axons in patients with carpal tunnel syndrome Brain, April 1, 2003; 126(4): 1001 - 1008. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
P A McNulty and V G Macefield Modulation of ongoing EMG by different classes of low-threshold mechanoreceptors in the human hand J. Physiol., December 15, 2001; 537(3): 1021 - 1032. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
 |
|
 S. C. Gandevia Spinal and Supraspinal Factors in Human Muscle Fatigue Physiol Rev, October 1, 2001; 81(4): 1725 - 1789. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
K. Seki, Y. Taniguchi, and M. Narusawa Effects of joint immobilization on firing rate modulation of human motor units J. Physiol., February 1, 2001; 530(3): 507 - 519. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
V. G Macefield, A. J Fuglevand, J. N Howell, and B. Bigland-Ritchie Discharge behaviour of single motor units during maximal voluntary contractions of a human toe extensor J. Physiol., October 1, 2000; 528(1): 227 - 234. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
J L Taylor, N Petersen, J E Butler, and S C Gandevia Ischaemia after exercise does not reduce responses of human motoneurones to cortical or corticospinal tract stimulation J. Physiol., June 15, 2000; 525(3): 793 - 801. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
 |
|
 W. K. Auge II and D. S. Morrison Assessment of the Infraspinatus Spinal Stretch Reflex in the Normal, Athletic, and Multidirectionally Unstable Shoulder Am. J. Sports Med., March 1, 2000; 28(2): 206 - 213. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
S C Gandevia, N Petersen, J E Butler, and J L Taylor Impaired response of human motoneurones to corticospinal stimulation after voluntary exercise J. Physiol., December 15, 1999; 521(3): 749 - 759. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
S C Gandevia, R D Herbert, and J B Leeper Voluntary activation of human elbow flexor muscles during maximal concentric contractions J. Physiol., October 15, 1998; 512(2): 595 - 602. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
R. Vagg, I. Mogyoros, M. C Kiernan, and D. Burke Activity-dependent hyperpolarization of human motor axons produced by natural activity J. Physiol., March 15, 1998; 507(3): 919 - 925. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
J. E. Butler, D. K. McKenzie, A. R. Glanville, and S. C. Gandevia Pulmonary Afferents Are Not Necessary for the Reflex Inhibition of Human Inspiratory Muscles Produced by Airway Occlusion J Neurophysiol, July 1, 1997; 78(1): 170 - 176. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
C. K. Thomas and B. H. Ross Distinct Patterns of Motor Unit Behavior During Muscle Spasms in Spinal Cord Injured Subjects J Neurophysiol, May 1, 1997; 77(5): 2847 - 2850. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
G. Cadoret and A. M. Smith Comparison of the Neuronal Activity in the SMA and the Ventral Cingulate Cortex During Prehension in the Monkey J Neurophysiol, January 1, 1997; 77(1): 153 - 166. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
S. Iscoe Phrenic motoneuron discharge during sustained inspiratory resistive loading J Appl Physiol, November 1, 1996; 81(5): 2260 - 2266. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|