Simulation of dynamic fusimotor effects in the discharge frequency of Ia afferents by prestretching the muscle spindle

Abstract

The discharge patterns of primary muscle spindle afferents from the tibial anterior muscle of the cat were recorded under a ramp-and-hold stretch of constant amplitude (7 mm) and stretch rates varying between 1 and 50 mm/s. With seven Ia fibers, the discharge patterns were recorded under various dynamic gamma stimulation frequencies of between 10 and 120 stimuli per second. With 26 passive spindle fibers of the type known as bag1 Ia fibers, the discharge patterns were obtained under progressively increasing prestretch of the muscle. From each discharge pattern the following discharge frequencies were read: the initial activity (the discharge frequency before the start of ramp stretching), the peak dynamic discharge (the discharge frequency at the end of the dynamic phase of stretching), the maximum static value (MSt; the discharge frequency at the beginning of the static phase of stretching), and the final static value (the discharge frequency at the end of the 3rd s of the plateau phase). These four discharge frequency values were plotted against MSt, in separate diagrams for the Ia fibers under dynamic gamma stimulation and for the bag1 Ia fibers. The relationship between the four discharge frequency values and the MSt turned out to be the same-or much the same-for both groups of Ia fibers. This means that the two groups of Ia fibers produced (more or less) identical discharge patterns in response to the ramp-and-hold stretch. In addition, where Ia fibers of the two groups had the same MSt, their dynamic and static responses were determined. Under these circumstances no difference was found in respect to their stretch properties between Ia fibers of dynamically gamma-activated spindles and bag1 Ia fibers of passive spindles. In the Discussion, the high degree of similarity in the behavior of the two groups of Ia fibers is explained in terms of the mechanical properties of intrafusal bag1 fibers, which render it likely that in passive intrafusal bag1 fibers stretch activation will evoke the same mechanical behavior as dynamic gamma activation.