Reflex responses of gamma motoneurones to vibration of the muscle they innervate. 1976

C Fromm, and J Noth

1. High frequency vibration was applied to the tendon of the non-contracting triceps surae muscle while recording the background discharges of single gamma fibres only small nerve bundles were cut, leaving most of the nerve supply to the triceps intact. 2. 22% out of a total of sixty-three gamma efferents were tonically inhibited by vibration. The inhibition appeared between 25 and 50mum peak-to-peak amplitude of vibration and increased to a plateau for amplitudes of about 100mum. The dependence of the tonic vibration reflex of alpha-efferents on the amplitude of vibration was found to be similar. Increasing the frequency of vibration from 150 to 300 Hz increased the degree of inhibition. 3. 33% of the fusimotor neurones investigated responded to muscle vibration with an increase in discharge rate. The threshold amplitudes of this reflex ranged from 20 to 50mum. Some features of the reflex, in particular the parallel post-vibratory facilitation found in alpha and gamma efferents, pointed to a polysynaptic pathway organized in an alpha-gamma linkage. 4. All gamma efferents inhibited by vibration showed inhibitory responses to antidromic stimulation of the parent ventral root, and most of them were inhibited by ramp stretch of the triceps. The gamma motoneurones facilitated by vibration, however, were excited by muscle stretch and were less susceptible to antidromic inhibition, some lacking it completely. 5. Cutting the nerves to triceps abolished the inhibitory as well as the excitatory responses of gamma efferents to muscle vibration. Both fusimotor reflexes were preserved after spinal section and subsequent administration of L-DOPA. 6. It is concluded that both of the fusimotor reflex effects of vibration are caused by excitation of primary spindle endings within the triceps. The inhibition of fusimotor neurones is thought to be mediated by Renshaw cells activated during vibration. The significance of positive feed-back on to gamma motoneurones as a result of autogenetic facilitation by Ia afferents is discussed in connexion with stability in the stretch reflex loop.

UI MeSH Term Description Entries
D009046 Motor Neurons Neurons which activate MUSCLE CELLS. Neurons, Motor,Alpha Motorneurons,Motoneurons,Motor Neurons, Alpha,Neurons, Alpha Motor,Alpha Motor Neuron,Alpha Motor Neurons,Alpha Motorneuron,Motoneuron,Motor Neuron,Motor Neuron, Alpha,Motorneuron, Alpha,Motorneurons, Alpha,Neuron, Alpha Motor,Neuron, Motor
D009047 Motor Neurons, Gamma Motor neurons which activate the contractile regions of intrafusal SKELETAL MUSCLE FIBERS, thus adjusting the sensitivity of the MUSCLE SPINDLES to stretch. Gamma motor neurons may be "static" or "dynamic" according to which aspect of responsiveness (or which fiber types) they regulate. The alpha and gamma motor neurons are often activated together (alpha gamma coactivation) which allows the spindles to contribute to the control of movement trajectories despite changes in muscle length. Neurons, Fusimotor,Neurons, Gamma Motor,Gamma Motorneurons,Motor Neurons, Gamma-Efferent,Fusimotor Neuron,Fusimotor Neurons,Gamma Motor Neuron,Gamma Motor Neurons,Gamma Motorneuron,Gamma-Efferent Motor Neuron,Gamma-Efferent Motor Neurons,Motor Neuron, Gamma,Motor Neuron, Gamma-Efferent,Motor Neurons, Gamma Efferent,Motorneuron, Gamma,Motorneurons, Gamma,Neuron, Fusimotor,Neuron, Gamma Motor,Neuron, Gamma-Efferent Motor,Neurons, Gamma-Efferent Motor
D009132 Muscles Contractile tissue that produces movement in animals. Muscle Tissue,Muscle,Muscle Tissues,Tissue, Muscle,Tissues, Muscle
D009433 Neural Inhibition The function of opposing or restraining the excitation of neurons or their target excitable cells. Inhibition, Neural
D012018 Reflex An involuntary movement or exercise of function in a part, excited in response to a stimulus applied to the periphery and transmitted to the brain or spinal cord.
D002415 Cats The domestic cat, Felis catus, of the carnivore family FELIDAE, comprising over 30 different breeds. The domestic cat is descended primarily from the wild cat of Africa and extreme southwestern Asia. Though probably present in towns in Palestine as long ago as 7000 years, actual domestication occurred in Egypt about 4000 years ago. (From Walker's Mammals of the World, 6th ed, p801) Felis catus,Felis domesticus,Domestic Cats,Felis domestica,Felis sylvestris catus,Cat,Cat, Domestic,Cats, Domestic,Domestic Cat
D000200 Action Potentials Abrupt changes in the membrane potential that sweep along the CELL MEMBRANE of excitable cells in response to excitation stimuli. Spike Potentials,Nerve Impulses,Action Potential,Impulse, Nerve,Impulses, Nerve,Nerve Impulse,Potential, Action,Potential, Spike,Potentials, Action,Potentials, Spike,Spike Potential
D000818 Animals Unicellular or multicellular, heterotrophic organisms, that have sensation and the power of voluntary movement. Under the older five kingdom paradigm, Animalia was one of the kingdoms. Under the modern three domain model, Animalia represents one of the many groups in the domain EUKARYOTA. Animal,Metazoa,Animalia
D014732 Vibration A continuing periodic change in displacement with respect to a fixed reference. (McGraw-Hill Dictionary of Scientific and Technical Terms, 6th ed) Vibrations

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