Facilitation of transmission in Ib pathways by cutaneous afferents from the contralateral foot sole in man.
Changes in the quadriceps H-reflex were used to study the effect of a weak contralateral cutaneous stimulation upon transmission in Ib pathways from ankle muscles to quadriceps in man. Provided it was applied to the contralateral foot sole, such a stimulation facilitated transmission in Ib pathways to quadriceps (inhibitory from extensors as well as excitatory from flexors). The central latency of this contralateral cutaneous facilitation was 1 msec longer than that of the ipsilateral cutaneous depression of Ib pathways. These findings are discussed with regard to the requirements of bipedal gait.
D000328:Adult; D000344:Afferent Pathways / Q000502:physiology; D000842:Ankle / Q000294:innervation; D004558:Electric Stimulation; D005528:Foot / Q000294:innervation*; D007839:Functional Laterality / Q000502:physiology; D006181:H-Reflex; D006801:Humans; D008124:Locomotion; D009046:Motor Neurons / Q000502:physiology; D009132:Muscles / Q000294:innervation*; D009433:Neural Inhibition; D010543:Peroneal Nerve / Q000502:physiology; D012026:Reflex, Stretch; D012867:Skin / Q000294:innervation*; D009435:Synaptic Transmission; D013710:Tendons / Q000294:innervation*