H reflexes in close muscles: cross-talk or genuine responses?
At rest, common peroneal nerve stimulation induced weak H responses in the peroneus longus (PL) and/or in the tibialis anterior (TA) muscles in half the subjects. The genuine H response of each muscle had to be proved since cross-talk could be suspected. PL and TA H responses were identified since (i) the reflex was often observed in only one muscle; (ii) H and M recruitment curves of each muscle were not systematically correlated; (iii) weak voluntary contractions induced opposite reflex changes in the antagonist PL and TA; (iv) direct stimulation of one of the muscles did not induce any cross-talk in the other provided that the EMG was of low voltage. It is concluded that H reflexes of close muscles can be studied independently.
Pérot
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Département de Génie Biologique, URA CNRS 858, Université de Compiègne, France.
Mora
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D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D004558:Electric Stimulation; D004576:Electromyography; D006181:H-Reflex / Q000502:physiology*; D006801:Humans; D009119:Muscle Contraction / Q000502:physiology; D009132:Muscles / Q000033:anatomy & histology / Q000502:physiology*; D011930:Reaction Time / Q000502:physiology; D011999:Recruitment, Neurophysiological / Q000502:physiology