Turning off the central contribution to contractions evoked by neuromuscular electrical stimulation

Neuromuscular electrical stimulation can generate contractions through both peripheral and central mechanisms. The peripheral mechanism involves the direct activation of motor axons, while the central mechanism involves the activation of sensory axons that recruit spinal neurons through a reflex pat...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Muscle & nerve 2008-08, Vol.38 (2), p.978-986
Main Authors: Dean, J.C., Yates, L.M., Collins, D.F.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Adolescent
Adult
Biological and medical sciences
Central Nervous System - physiology
Electric Stimulation - methods
Electromyography - methods
Female
FES
Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology
Humans
Male
Motor control and motor pathways. Reflexes. Control centers of vegetative functions. Vestibular system and equilibration
Muscle Contraction - physiology
Muscle Contraction - radiation effects
Muscle, Skeletal - innervation
Muscle, Skeletal - physiology
Muscle, Skeletal - radiation effects
Neuromuscular Junction - radiation effects
persistent inward currents
post-tetanic potentiation
reciprocal inhibition
Torque
Vertebrates: nervous system and sense organs
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Summary:Neuromuscular electrical stimulation can generate contractions through both peripheral and central mechanisms. The peripheral mechanism involves the direct activation of motor axons, while the central mechanism involves the activation of sensory axons that recruit spinal neurons through a reflex pathway. For use in functional electrical stimulation. One must have control over turning the central mechanism on and off. We investigated whether inhibition developed through antagonist muscle (tibialis anterior, TA) contractions elicited by electrical stimulation or by volition can turn off the central mechanism in triceps surae. Both electrical stimulation and voluntary contractions of TA reduced or eliminated plantar flexion torque produced by the central mechanism, indicating that inhibition induced via these contractions can effectively turn off the central contribution to force. These findings suggest that patterns of electrical stimulation may be able to generate periodic muscle contractions by turning the central contribution to muscular contractions on and off. Muscle Nerve, 2008
ISSN:0148-639X
1097-4598
DOI:10.1002/mus.21007