A stable late soleus EMG response elicited by cortical stimulation during voluntary ankle dorsiflexion

Transcranial electrical or magnetic stimulation was performed in 47 experiments on 42 normal adult subjects. Surface compound muscle action potentials were recorded from the antagonistic tibialis anterior (TA) and soleus (SOL) muscles. A stable late response recorded from SOL during voluntary ankle dorsiflexion is described and called soleus MEP-80. Its origin has been studied with different experimental procedures. (1) It is only obtained during active voluntary dorsiflexion of the ankle within 70-100 msec (mean 86.9 +/- 6.4 msec) whereas passive dorsiflexion does not promote such a response. The size of SOL MEP-80 was always bigger than the primary SOL response. (2) A similar constant response has not been obtained during voluntary plantar flexion from SOL and TA muscles. (3) SOL MEP-80 is not changed significantly by the Jendrassik manoeuvre. (4) It is not obtained or is suppressed when the subject is sitting with the feet free in space. On the other hand, it is obtained when the subject is standing, especially when standing is made difficult. (5) SOL MEP-80 has not been obtained by brain-stem, spinal cord or root stimulation. (6) A later response of longer than 100 msec latency was sometimes obtained at rest but such an S100 soleus response was abolished or transformed to the SOL MEP-80 immediately during ankle dorsiflexion. (7) It is concluded that SOL MEP-80 is a polysynaptic extensor response related to postural mechanisms and originating through convergence of descending motor commands and peripheral sensory feedback.