Soleus H-reflex depression induced by ballistic voluntary arm movement in human

A biomechanical and neurophysiological analysis of anticipatory postural adjustments associated with the early phase of a voluntary arm movement was carried out in normal human subjects. Arm elevation, performed at maximal velocity, was studied with unilateral arm movement in freely and counterbalanced (suspended in a safety harness) standing humans. The ground reaction force of both legs, tangential acceleration of the shank and electromyographic activity (EMG) of the anterior deltoid (AD), biceps femoris (BF) and soleus (Sol) muscles were recorded. Sol H-reflexes of both legs were also elicited. To examine how the Ia inhibitory and presynaptic inhibitory pathways are related to anticipatory postural adjustments, additional Sol H-reflexes were elicited using the classical conditioning-test technique (time interval 2 and 15 ms, respectively). In this study, we systematically described biomechanical and EMG phenomena that precede and follow the onset of voluntary arm movements. Prior to and during the arm movement (i.e. AD activation), a sequence of EMG modifications occurred in ipsilateral BF and Sol muscles. Those modifications preceding BF activation included silent phases in Sol EMG and depression of Sol H-reflexes. By comparing EMG modifications with depressions of the Sol H-reflex, we conclude that Ia and presynaptic inhibitory pathways do not play a specific role in those Sol H-reflex depressions. Moreover, because Sol H-reflex depression occurs in both freely standing and counterbalanced postures, anticipatory postural adjustment appear to be preprogrammed in the central nervous systems unrelated to peripheral neural mechanisms. Since changes of EMG activities of ipsilateral BF and Sol appeared simultaneously and Sol H-reflex depressions were dependent on EMG activities of ipsilateral BF, control commands to anticipatory postural adjustment would excite BF and inhibit Sol.