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Recovery of proprioceptive feedback from nerve crush
Author(s) -
Prather Jonathan F.,
Nardelli Paul,
Nakanishi Stan T.,
Ross Kyla T.,
Nichols T. Richard,
Pinter Martin J.,
Cope Timothy C.
Publication year - 2011
Publication title -
the journal of physiology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.802
H-Index - 240
eISSN - 1469-7793
pISSN - 0022-3751
DOI - 10.1113/jphysiol.2011.210518
Subject(s) - reflex , proprioception , neuroscience , stretch reflex , sensory system , spinal cord , contraction (grammar) , muscle contraction , anatomy , medicine , psychology
Non‐Technical Summary Regeneration of muscle nerves damaged by crush reconnects the peripheral limb of neural circuits that pass through the spinal cord, but the mechanisms underlying functional recovery remain uncertain. We examined the actions of natural muscle stretch that initiates muscle contraction, i.e. the stretch reflex, through a spinal circuit that aids in adjusting body movement and posture in response to destabilizing forces in the external environment. Stretch applied to muscles reinnervated by crushed nerves produced reflexive contraction that was more forceful than normal, despite yielding less than normal synaptic excitation to spinal motoneurons. Incomplete recovery of synaptic function by stretch‐activated sensory neurons means that the enhanced stretch reflex contraction necessarily involves additional neural adaptations, possibly increased motoneuron excitability. These findings give further support to the importance of the central nervous system in restoring the ability of the regenerated neuromuscular system to respond to external disturbances of movement and posture.