There is no simple temporal relationship between the initiation of rapid reactive hand movements and the phase of an enhanced physiological tremor inman
M. Lakie et N. Combes, There is no simple temporal relationship between the initiation of rapid reactive hand movements and the phase of an enhanced physiological tremor inman, J PHYSL LON, 523(2), 2000, pp. 515-522
A postural hand tremor of enhanced size was induced in eleven subjects. The
re was rhythmic activity in the posturally active extensor muscles synchron
ised to the tremor oscillation, which implied an oscillatory modulation of
motor neurones.
The subjects executed single rapid wrist flexion movements in response to a
flash of light. The light flash was presented at an instant when the wrist
was spontaneously moving in the flexion direction, extension direction or
at random. The time taken to generate a movement was not significantly diff
erent or more consistent in any of the conditions.
Inspection of individual and averaged acceleration and EMG records strongly
suggests that the movement is made at a time that is independent of the tr
emor cycle at the time of stimulus presentation or at the moment of movemen
t initiation.
These observations suggest that the central or spinal mechanism generating
tremor does not gate the central mechanism that produces voluntary movement
.