title: F waves and motor unit size.
abstract: M responses and twitch contractions were evoked in single motor units (MUs) of the first dorsal interosseus muscle by intramuscular microstimulation of motor axons. Two-hundred nine MUs were studied in 21 subjects. Thirty-five MUs (17%) showed F waves in addition to M responses. Twitch force was used to provide an indirect measure of MU size; additionally, twitch contraction time was measured. There was no select group of MUs generating F waves with regard to the above contraction parameters. However, four of five MUs with very high twitch forces, above 70 mN, generated F waves. We conclude that MUs of all sizes produce F waves with similar probability. Only few MUs with very strong twitch forces, i.e., very large MUs, may be more subject to F-wave production and may be involved in the generation of the so-called repeater F waves.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, University of Bonn, Germany.
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Dengler
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Kossev
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Wohlfahrt
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Schubert
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Elek
authors.forename: W
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Wolf
mesh_terms: D000200:Action Potentials / Q000502:physiology; D000328:Adult; D001369:Axons / Q000502:physiology; D004576:Electromyography; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009046:Motor Neurons / Q000502:physiology*; D009119:Muscle Contraction / Q000502:physiology; D009132:Muscles / Q000294:innervation* / Q000502:physiology