Muscle plasticity: comparison of a 30-Hz burst with 10-Hz continuous stimulation

The changes in the contractile properties induced by a 30-Hz phasic stimulation paradigm were measured and compared with the changes induced by a 10-Hz continuous stimulation paradigm. The study was performed on the tibialis anterior muscles of cats with one paradigm applied to one hindlimb muscle and the other to the contralateral limb. Both hindlimb muscles received the same number of stimuli in a day, making the average stimulation frequency 10 Hz. Two periods of daily stimulation were studied, 8 and 24 h/day. Muscles stimulated at 30 Hz produced greater overall tetanic tension and, during a prolonged stimulation test, exerted a greater mean tension than muscles stimulated at 10 Hz (50 and 32% increase for animals stimulated for 8 and 24 h/day, respectively). Muscle mass was least reduced and fewer pathological abnormalities were observed in the muscles stimulated at 30 Hz. There were no apparent differences in the histochemistry or biochemistry between muscles stimulated at 10 and 30 Hz, which could account for these differences in muscle properties. These results indicate the 30-Hz paradigm may be better suited than 10 Hz continuous stimulation for applications requiring sustained muscle tension such as correction of scoliosis or muscle conditioning for motor prostheses.