Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
. 2011 Mar 1;10(1):39-44.
eCollection 2011.

Repetitive Peripheral Magnetic Stimulation (15 Hz RPMS) of the Human Soleus Muscle did not Affect Spinal Excitability

Martin Behrens  1 , Anett Mau-Möller, Volker Zschorlich, Sven Bruhn
Affiliations

Repetitive Peripheral Magnetic Stimulation (15 Hz RPMS) of the Human Soleus Muscle did not Affect Spinal Excitability

Martin Behrens et al. J Sports Sci Med. .

Abstract

The electric field induced by repetitive peripheral magnetic stimulation (RPMS) is able to activate muscles artificially due to the stimulation of deep intramuscular motor axons. RPMS applied to the muscle induces proprioceptive input to the central nervous system in different ways. Firstly, the indirect activation of mechanoreceptors and secondly, direct activation of afferent nerve fibers. The purpose of the study was to examine the effects of RPMS applied to the soleus. Thirteen male subjects received RPMS once and were investigated before and after the treatment regarding the parameters maximal M wave (Mmax), maximal H-reflex (Hmax), Hmax/Mmax-ratio, Hmax and Mmax onset latencies and plantar flexor peak twitch torque associated with Hmax (PTH). Eleven male subjects served as controls. No significant changes were observed for Hmax and PTH of the treatment group but the Hmax/Mmax-ratio increased significantly (p = 0.015) on account of a significantly decreased Mmax (p = 0.027). Hmax onset latencies were increased for the treatment group (p = 0.003) as well as for the control group (p = 0.011) while Mmax onset latencies did not change. It is concluded that the RPMS protocol did not affect spinal excitability but acted on the muscle fibres which are part of fast twitch units and mainly responsible for the generation of the maximal M wave. RPMS probably modified the integrity of neuromuscular propagation. Key pointsRPMS probably did not affect spinal excitability.Data suggested that RPMS likely acted on the muscle fibres which are part of fast twitch units and mainly responsible for the generation of the maximal M wave.RPMS probably modified the integrity of neuromuscular propagation.

Keywords: Electromyography; H-reflex; M wave; repetitive peripheral magnetic stimulation; soleus; twitch torque.

PubMed Disclaimer

Figures

Figure 1.
Figure 1.
Group mean ± standard error of the mean from pre- and post-measurement of all subjects of the treatment (TG) and control group (CG) are displayed. Following RPMS, the Hmax/Mmax-ratios of TG were significantly increased
Figure 2.
Figure 2.
Group mean ± standard error of the mean of peak-to-peak SOL H-reflex from pre- and post-measurement of all subjects of the treatment (TG) and control group (CG) are displayed. Following RPMS Hmax of TG revealed no significant difference
Figure 3.
Figure 3.
Group mean ± standard error of the mean of peak-to-peak SOL Mmax from pre- and post-measurement of all subjects of the treatment (TG) and control group (CG) are displayed. Following RPMS maximal M wave of TG was significantly decreased
Figure 4.
Figure 4.
H-reflex recruitment curves (♦ H-reflexes, ○ M waves) of one subject before and after RPMS. It becomes apparent, that Mmax was reduced after RPMS
See this image and copyright information in PMC

References

    1. Aagaard P., Simonsen E.B., Andersen J.L., Magnusson P., Dyhre-Poulsen P. (2002) Neural adaptation to resistance training: changes in evoked V-wave and H-reflex responses. Journal of Applied Physiology 992, 2309-2318 - PubMed
    1. Barker A.T. (1999) The history and basic principles of magnetic nerve stimulation. Electroencephalography and Clinical Neurophysiology Suppl 551, 3-21 - PubMed
    1. Collins D.F., Burke D., Gandevia S.C. (2001) Large involuntary forces consistent with plateau-like behavior of human motoneurons. Journal of Neuroscience 221, 4059-4065 - PMC - PubMed
    1. Colson S., Martin A., Van Hoecke J. (2000) Re-examination of training effects by electrostimulation in the human elbow musculoskeletal system. International Journal of Sports Medicine 221, 281-288 - PubMed
    1. Crone C., Johnsen L.L., Hultborn H., Orsnes G.B. (1999) Amplitude of the maximum motor response (Mmax) in human muscles typically decreases during the course of an experiment. Experimental Brain Research 124, 265-270 - PubMed

LinkOut - more resources