An electrophysiological investigation into the monosynaptic H-reflex in the rat

In order to set up a non-invasive, reliable and reproducible model for investigating α-motoneuronal activity, we studied the electrophysiological features of a monosynaptic H-reflex in anaesthetised intact rats, anaesthetised and non-anaesthetised rats transected at the level of the obex. Electrical...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Brain research 1998-01, Vol.782 (1), p.343-347
Main Authors: Gozariu, Manuela, Roth, Vincent, Keime, Florence, Le Bars, Daniel, Willer, Jean-Claude
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Achilles Tendon - physiology
Anaesthetised obex-transected rat
Animals
Biological and medical sciences
Cerebral Ventricles - physiology
Denervation
Electric Stimulation
Electrophysiology
F-Wave
Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology
H-reflex
H-Reflex - physiology
Male
Monosynaptic reflex
Motor control and motor pathways. Reflexes. Control centers of vegetative functions. Vestibular system and equilibration
Motor Neurons - physiology
Neural Inhibition - physiology
Neurons, Afferent - physiology
Nociceptors - physiology
Rats
Rats, Sprague-Dawley
Reaction Time - physiology
Tarsus, Animal - innervation
Tibial Nerve - physiology
Vertebrates: nervous system and sense organs
Vibration
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Summary:In order to set up a non-invasive, reliable and reproducible model for investigating α-motoneuronal activity, we studied the electrophysiological features of a monosynaptic H-reflex in anaesthetised intact rats, anaesthetised and non-anaesthetised rats transected at the level of the obex. Electrical stimulation of the tibial nerve at the ankle elicited an H-reflex, an F-wave and a direct motor (M) response in the plantaris muscles of all preparations. The H-reflex and F-wave exhibited very similar latencies. The H-reflex had a low threshold and a constant latency. Its amplitude increased as a function of stimulus intensity to reach a maximum value but then decreased when the stimulus intensity was further increased. It could follow high rates of stimulation without any change in shape or latency. The F-wave had a lower amplitude which together with its latency varied from one stimulus to the next. It appeared with intensities of stimulation that elicited an almost maximal M-response and did not decrease when the stimulation was increased. It did not appear systematically from one stimulus to the next. The H-reflex, but neither the F-wave nor the direct motor M-response, was depressed both by vibratory stimuli applied on the Achilles' tendon and following nociceptive stimulation of the flexor reflex afferents. This model could be used for assessing any potential direct effect on motoneurones of a physiological or pharmacological conditioning procedure.
ISSN:0006-8993
1872-6240
DOI:10.1016/S0006-8993(97)01402-9