Sc. Gandevia et al., Impaired response of human motoneurones to corticospinal stimulation aftervoluntary exercise, J PHYSL LON, 521(3), 1999, pp. 749-759
1. Activation of descending corticospinal tracts with transmastoid electric
al stimuli has been used to assess changes in the behaviour of motoneurones
after voluntary contractions. Stimuli were delivered before and after maxi
mal voluntary isometric contractions (MVCs) of the elbow flexor muscles.
2. Following a sustained MVC of the elbow flexors lasting 5-120 s there was
an immediate reduction of the response to transmastoid stimulation to abou
t half of the control value. The response recovered to control levels after
about 2 min. This was evident even when the size of the responses was adju
sted to accommodate changes in the maximal muscle action potential (assesse
d with supramaximal stimuli at the brachial plexus).
3. To determine whether the post-contraction depression required activity i
n descending motor paths, motoneurones were activated by supramaximal tetan
ic stimulation of the musculocutaneous nerve for 10 s. This did not depress
the response to transmastoid stimulation.
4. Following a sustained MVC of 120 s duration, the response to transcrania
l magnetic stimulation of the motor cortex gradually declined to a minimal
level by about 2 min and remained depressed for more than 10 min.
5. Additional studies were performed to check that the activation of descen
ding tracts by transmastoid stimulation was likely to involve excitation of
direct corticospinal paths. When magnetic cortical stimuli and transmastoi
d stimuli were timed appropriately, the response to magnetic cortical stimu
lation could be largely occluded.
6. This study describes a novel depression of effectiveness of corticospina
l actions on human motoneurones. This depression may involve the corticomot
oneuronal synapse.