Effect of passive movements on reaction time of the rectus femoris in normal subjects and patients with paraparesis.
Electromyographic reaction times (EMG-RTs) of the right knee extension were examined in eight normal subjects and eight patients with paraparesis under three conditions; during passive knee flexion (PFLX), passive extension (PEXT) and no passive movements (STAT). EMG-RTs of the three conditions were not significantly different between the normal and the patient group. A two-way analysis of variance (condition x group) showed that the main effect of condition was significant, but that of group and the interaction were not. Both in the normal and the patient group the shortest EMG-RTs of all was obtained in PEXT, followed by that of STAT and PFLX. Effect of passive movements on EMG-RTs in the patients whose position sense of the knee and muscle strength of the knee extension were within normal range did not vary with the abnormality of tactile sense and/or myotatic reflexes. The results indicated that activities of the pyramidal tract neurons in carrying out a movement were directly influenced by kinesthetic information of the moving limb.
D000328:Adult; D004576:Electromyography; D006801:Humans; D007719:Knee Joint / Q000502:physiology / Q000503:physiopathology*; D008875:Middle Aged; D009068:Movement; D009132:Muscles / Q000502:physiology / Q000503:physiopathology*; D010243:Paralysis / Q000503:physiopathology*; D011930:Reaction Time; D012021:Reflex, Abnormal / Q000503:physiopathology