The long-term goals of this project are to understand spinal reflex mechanisms that regulate the mechanical properties of muscle and interjoint coordination. Most studies of the mechanical actions of spinal reflexes have focused on autogenic, or stretch, reflexes. A muscle, however, also receives powerful reflex inputs from other muscles in the joint and limb (Heterogenic reflexes). Although the synaptic connectivity of heterogenic reflexes has been studied extensively, the mechanical actions of these pathways have received little attention. The decerebrate preparation will be used to evaluate the organization of autogenic and heterogenic reflexes of knee and ankle musculature under a variety of states of activation. Measurement of heterogenic actions between two muscles will be achieved by applying mechanical inputs independently to the freed tendons and measuring the force responses. A functional and quantitative map of reflexes appropriate for modellingg will be obtained. The rules by which autogenic and heterogenic inputs are integrated in the spinal cord, receptor mechanisms and pharmacology of heterogenic pathways, and the effect of stimulating supraspinal strutures on the organization of spinal pathways will also be studied. The predictions from these measurements will be tested by applying perturbations to the intact, instrumented limbs of decerebrate animals with intact muscle attachments and feedback from cutaneous and joint receptors. Malfunction of heterogenic reflexes may be an important component of motor disorders such as spasticity. Knowledge about heterogenic reflex organization is needed to understand these motor disorders and to suggest improved diagnostic methods.
Showing the most recent 10 out of 34 publications
