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Somatic spinal reflexes are rapid, involuntary muscular responses to external stimuli that involve the somatic musculature and the spinal cord.
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The indirect motor or extrapyramidal pathways originate in the brainstem, the lower portion of the brain that connects it to the spinal cord. They consist of several distinct tracts, each with specialized functions. The four main tracts of the indirect motor pathways are the vestibulospinal tract, the reticulospinal tract, the tectospinal tract, and the rubrospinal tract.
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Spinal Circuits Mediate a Stretch Reflex Between the Upper Limbs in Humans.

Tetsuro Muraoka1, Isaac Kurtzer2

  • 1College of Economics, Nihon University, Tokyo, Japan; Department of Biomedical Sciences, New York Institute of Technology - College of Osteopathic Medicine, Old Westbury, New York, USA.

Neuroscience
|February 17, 2020
PubMed
Summary

Short-latency inter-limb reflexes in human shoulder muscles involve spinal pathways, unlike longer-latency reflexes. These reflexes interact, with inhibitory pathways independent and excitatory pathways suppressed by within-limb reflexes.

Keywords:
commissural neuronscrossed responseshort-latency stretch reflexshoulder

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Area of Science:

  • Neuroscience
  • Human Motor Control
  • Reflex Physiology

Background:

  • Inter-limb reflexes are crucial for coordinating movements across different limbs.
  • Previous research identified long-latency (50-100 ms) inter-limb stretch reflexes in elbow muscles, suggesting a trans-cortical pathway.
  • The neural mechanisms underlying short-latency inter-limb reflexes in the human upper limb remain largely unexplored.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the presence and characteristics of inter-limb stretch reflexes in human shoulder muscles.
  • To determine the latency and potential neural pathways (spinal vs. trans-cortical) of these reflexes.
  • To examine the interaction between within-limb and inter-limb stretch reflexes in the shoulder.

Main Methods:

  • Participants maintained steady postures against background torques while unexpected torque pulses were applied to one or both shoulders.
  • Electromyography (EMG) was used to record muscle activity in shoulder flexors and extensors.
  • Analysis focused on the timing and amplitude of stretch reflex responses to assess inter-limb effects.

Main Results:

  • Short-latency (36-50 ms) inter-limb stretch reflexes were observed in both shoulder extensors and flexors, indicating a spinal linkage.
  • Long-latency inter-limb reflexes were also present but exhibited an opposite (inhibitory/excitatory) response compared to the short-latency reflex.
  • Inhibitory inter-limb reflexes were independent of within-limb reflexes, while excitatory inter-limb reflexes were suppressed by within-limb reflexes.

Conclusions:

  • This study provides the first evidence of short-latency inter-limb stretch reflexes in the human upper limb, mediated by spinal circuits.
  • The findings reveal complex interactions between spinal circuits controlling within-limb and inter-limb reflexes.
  • These results advance our understanding of neural control mechanisms for coordinated bimanual movements.