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Updated: Aug 26, 2026

In Vivo Canine Muscle Function Assay
Published on: April 5, 2011
The effect of muscle contraction on kinaesthesia
Andrew K Wise1, James B Fallon
1Department of Physiology, Monash University, Clayton, VIC, Australia. wisea@mail.medoto.unimelb.edu.au
Abstract:
Kinaesthesia is our conscious awareness of body position and movement. Experiments are described examining kinaesthetic acuity in human subjects. The results showed a reduced ability to detect limb movement and match limb position during co-contraction of elbow extensors and flexors compared to when these muscles were relaxed. We also report results from animal experiments showing a reduction in muscle spindle stretch sensitivity during fusimotor and skeletomotor activation, a factor that might contribute to the decreased kinaesthetic acuity observed during muscle contraction.
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