Jove
Visualize
Contact Us
JoVE
x logofacebook logolinkedin logoyoutube logo
ABOUT JoVE
OverviewLeadershipBlogJoVE Help Center
AUTHORS
Publishing ProcessEditorial BoardScope & PoliciesPeer ReviewFAQSubmit
LIBRARIANS
TestimonialsSubscriptionsAccessResourcesLibrary Advisory BoardFAQ
RESEARCH
JoVE JournalMethods CollectionsJoVE Encyclopedia of ExperimentsArchive
EDUCATION
JoVE CoreJoVE BusinessJoVE Science EducationJoVE Lab ManualFaculty Resource CenterFaculty Site
Terms & Conditions of Use
Privacy Policy
Policies

Related Concept Videos

Motor Unit Stimulation01:20

Motor Unit Stimulation

2.2K
When the neuron of a motor unit fires an action potential, it triggers a series of events, leading to a twitch contraction in the muscle fibers. The process of excitation-contraction coupling is crucial in relaying the action potential to the muscle fibers.
The latent period of contraction marks the onset of excitation-contraction coupling, when the action potential propagates across the sarcolemma, preparing the muscle fibers for contraction. As the fibers enter the contraction phase, the...
2.2K
Muscle Stimulation Frequency01:22

Muscle Stimulation Frequency

2.9K
The contraction strength of muscles is regulated by motor neurons, which modulate the frequency of action potentials dispatched to the motor units based on the body's requirements. This process of varying the muscle stimulation frequency allows muscles to contract with a force that is precisely tailored to the needs of the moment, whether lifting a feather or a heavy box.
Wave summation
At low firing rates, motor neurons induce individual twitch contractions in muscle fibers. These twitches...
2.9K

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by
Same author

Design and Measured Assessment of a MOS-Only, Capacitorless, Miniature 64-Channel Headstage Circuit for High-Density Surface Electromyography.

Sensors (Basel, Switzerland)·2026
Same author

Concurrent control of natural and robotic limbs through a tactile-encoded brain-computer interface.

Nature communications·2026
Same author

Spiking neural network decoders of finger forces from high-density intramuscular microelectrode arrays.

Nature communications·2026
Same author

Differential Effects of High and Low Frequency Subthalamic Nucleus Deep Brain Stimulation on Force Steadiness in Patients with Parkinson's Disease: An Exploratory Study.

Neurology and therapy·2026
Same author

A Roadmap to Navigate the Future of Neural Engineering.

Journal of neural engineering·2026
Same author

The use of high-density surface electromyography in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis: a scoping review.

Journal of neuroengineering and rehabilitation·2026

Related Experiment Video

Updated: Sep 28, 2025

Corticospinal Excitability Modulation During Action Observation
12:33

Corticospinal Excitability Modulation During Action Observation

Published on: December 31, 2013

9.0K

Reading and Modulating Cortical β Bursts from Motor Unit Spiking Activity.

Mario Bräcklein1, Deren Y Barsakcioglu1, Alessandro Del Vecchio2

  • 1Neuromechanics and Rehabilitation Technology Group, Department of Bioengineering, Faculty of Engineering, Imperial College London, London W12 0BZ, United Kingdom.

The Journal of Neuroscience : the Official Journal of the Society for Neuroscience
|March 30, 2022
PubMed
Summary

Beta (β) brain wave activity in muscles originates from the cortex. New research shows these bursts are time-locked between the brain and muscles, suggesting a direct cortical projection. This finding could lead to advanced neural interfaces.

Keywords:
motor unitsneural interfacesneural oscillationsreal-time decompositionβ oscillations

More Related Videos

Non-Invasive Electrical Brain Stimulation Montages for Modulation of Human Motor Function
07:47

Non-Invasive Electrical Brain Stimulation Montages for Modulation of Human Motor Function

Published on: February 4, 2016

13.2K
Intracortical Inhibition Within the Primary Motor Cortex Can Be Modulated by Changing the Focus of Attention
09:48

Intracortical Inhibition Within the Primary Motor Cortex Can Be Modulated by Changing the Focus of Attention

Published on: September 11, 2017

10.1K

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: Sep 28, 2025

Corticospinal Excitability Modulation During Action Observation
12:33

Corticospinal Excitability Modulation During Action Observation

Published on: December 31, 2013

9.0K
Non-Invasive Electrical Brain Stimulation Montages for Modulation of Human Motor Function
07:47

Non-Invasive Electrical Brain Stimulation Montages for Modulation of Human Motor Function

Published on: February 4, 2016

13.2K
Intracortical Inhibition Within the Primary Motor Cortex Can Be Modulated by Changing the Focus of Attention
09:48

Intracortical Inhibition Within the Primary Motor Cortex Can Be Modulated by Changing the Focus of Attention

Published on: September 11, 2017

10.1K

Area of Science:

  • Neuroscience
  • Motor Control
  • Human Physiology

Background:

  • Beta (β) oscillations (13-30 Hz) are common in the human motor nervous system but their origin and function remain unclear.
  • Traditionally, β activity was viewed as a continuous signal, but recent findings suggest it occurs in transient bursting events.
  • Understanding the source of muscle β activity is crucial for deciphering its role in motor control.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate whether muscle β activity primarily originates from cortical projections.
  • To characterize the temporal dynamics of β activity at both cortical and motor unit (MU) levels.
  • To explore the possibility of volitionally modulating MU β activity and its cortical correlates.

Main Methods:

  • Two experiments were conducted on healthy human participants (N=15 and N=13) during isometric contractions of the tibialis anterior muscle.
  • Cortical and motor unit (MU) β activity were recorded and analyzed for bursting patterns, duration, and rate.
  • A novel operant conditioning paradigm was employed to assess volitional modulation of MU β activity and its effect on cortical β.

Main Results:

  • β rhythms at both cortical and MU levels were confirmed to occur in synchronized bursting events.
  • These bursts exhibited comparable durations (40-80 ms) and rates (3-4 Hz) and appeared time-locked between cortical and MU recordings.
  • Volitional modulation of MU β activity was achieved with minimal learning and was paralleled by corresponding changes in cortical β activity.

Conclusions:

  • The findings strongly support the hypothesis that muscle β activity is predominantly driven by cortical projections.
  • This study demonstrates a direct link between cortical β activity and peripheral motor output at the level of individual motor units.
  • The results open avenues for decoding cortical activity from peripheral recordings and developing novel neural interfaces.