Some unresolved issues in motor unit research

Abstract

The intrinsic properties of motoneurones, muscle units, and synaptic inputs exhibit correlated variations that subserve a wide range of functional demands. In large limb muscles, these correlations suggest distinct "types" of motor units, while in smaller, distal muscles their distributions are more continuous. The CNS mechanisms that control recruitment patterns are still unclear, particularly the organization of spinal interneurone circuits. We need new approaches to identify segmental interneurones by their inputs and output targets. However, functional circuitry is changeable, depending on the "state" of the system. Shifting alliances of interneurone groups can in principle produce virtually unlimited permutations of motor unit coactivation and suppression. Although such state-dependence plasticity is a challenge, it can also be a useful tool in unraveling interneurone organization.