Alpha and Gamma Motor Systems

1. Motor Unit Recruitment

   1. Contribution of the β Motor System to a Positive Feedback of Contraction

      • N. Kouchtir, J.-F. Perrier, D. Zytnicki, L. Jami

      Pages 92-98

   2. Critique of Papers by Awiszus & Feistner; Cope & Clark; Durkovic; Windhorst; Kouchtir, Perrier, Zytnicki & Jami

      • Hans Hultborn

      Pages 99-102

   3. Time Course of Excitability Changes of Human α-Motoneurones Following Single Spikes and Doublets

      • K. E. Jones, B. Calancie, A. Hall, P. Bawa

      Pages 103-105

   4. Motor Unit Synchronisation During the Precision Grip

      • E. J. Hüsler, G. C. Maissen, M. A. Maier, M.-C. Hepp-Reymond

      Pages 106-108

   5. Effects of Motor Activation Strategies on the Relationship Between EMG and Force

      • S. J. Day, M. Hulliger, W. M. Morrow, B. Kacmar, M. Edström

      Pages 109-111

   6. Recruitment Patterns of Intrafusal and Extrafusal Fibres in Mice During Prolonged Swimming

      • N. Fujitsuka, A. Yoshimura, Y. Shimomura, T. Murakami, K. Kawakami, Y. Khobu et al.

      Pages 112-114

   7. Hysteresis of Muscle Contraction and Effects of Uncertainty in Proprioceptive Activity and Motor Performance

      • A. I. Kostyukov, V. L. Cherkassky, A. N. Tal’nov

      Pages 115-117

   8. The Effects of Hyperactivity on H and T Responses in Awake Rats

      • Chantai Pérot, Maria Izabel Almeida-Silveira

      Pages 118-120

   9. Modification in the Locomotor Activity of the Rat Soleus Muscle in Response to Hindlimb Unloading: Preliminary Results

      • M. H. Canu, D. Leterme, S. Fodili, M. Falempin

      Pages 121-123

   10. Early and Late Effects of Deafferentation Upon Spinal Cord Function in the Rat — an Electromyographic Study

       • P. Hník, R. Vejsada, Ruth Payne

       Pages 124-125

2. Gamma Reflexes

   1. Front Matter

      Pages 127-127

      PDF

   2. Reflex Activation of γs- and γd-Motoneurones Observed in Isolated Muscle Spindles of Cat Hindlimb Muscles

      • M. H. Gladden, M. Dickson, T. Lumsdon

      Pages 129-136

   3. Influences on the γ-Muscle Spindle System from Joint Mechanoreceptors

      • P. Sjölander, H. Johansson

      Pages 137-144

   4. Cutaneous Reflex Control of Fusimotor Neurones

      • P. R. Murphy, H. A. Martin

      Pages 145-150

   5. Regulation of the Dynamic and Static Sensitivity of Gastrocnemius-Soleus Muscle Spindle Afferents by Joint and Cutaneous Afferents in the Cat

      • P. H. Ellaway, N. J. Davey, M. J. Ljubisavljevic, N. P. Anissimova

      Pages 151-156

   6. Reflex Control of Fusimotor Neurones: Where do We Stand?

      • Manuel Hulliger

      Pages 157-161

   7. Excitatory and Inhibitory Effects of Midbrain Stimulation on γS- and γD-Motoneurones of a Cat Hindlimb Muscle

      • M. Dickson, M. H. Gladden

      Pages 162-164

   8. Fusimotor Outflow to Medial Gastrocnemius Muscle During Isotonic Contraction of its Close Synergists in Decerebrate Cats

      • M. Ljubisavljevic, R. Anastasijevic

      Pages 165-167

   9. Fusimotor Outflow to Pretibial Flexors During Isometric and Isotonic Fatiguing Contraction of Triceps in Decerebrate Cats

      • R. Anastasijevic, M. Ljubisavljevic, S. Radovanovic, I. Vukcevic

      Pages 168-170

   10. The Interaction of Low and High Threshold Joint Afferents in Relation to Reflex Effects in α- and γ-Motoneurones

       • D. T. Scott, R. H. Baxendale, W. R. Ferrell

       Pages 171-173

The Sherrington School of Physiology at St. Thomas' Hospital provided a natural venue for four days of enthusiastic debate on Sherrington's Final Common Path -the alpha motoneurone and related matters; Sherrington himself held a lecturership at St. Thomas' just over a century ago. The occasion was a happy one. Most participants already knew each other, the topics were familiar, the discussion was vigorous and critical but without personal rancor. The program had set out to encourage debate with 'critiques' both of the oral papers and the posters; their inclusion in the present volume helps to show where we are standing on rock rather than sand. In spite of a venerable history some surprisingly simple matters remain controversial, such as the information content of the signals from the Golgi tendon organs. To those working on alpha and gamma motoneurones and their control this volume provides an essential up-dating. Classical problems continue to be attacked on a broad front; advance is steady and continuous, a swelling tide rather than a sudden view of the summit. But in some sectors the difficulties are so great that to the outsider little might seem to change, the same battles continuing; but even here, the terms of debate change and concensus develops. Other branches of biology claim breakthrough upon breakthrough from the routine application of the new technologies, so we have to be the first to ask whether our classical approach to science can still be justified.

• development
• muscle
• physiology
• receptor
• research
• spinal cord

• Sherrington School of Physiology, UMDS, St. Thomas’ Hospital, London, England

  Anthony Taylor, Rade Durbaba

• Institute of Biomedical and Life Sciences, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, Scotland

  Margaret H. Gladden

Policies and ethics