Force and displacement-controlled tendon vibration in humans

doi:10.1016/0168-5597(93)90084-3

Electroencephalography and Clinical Neurophysiology/Evoked Potentials Section

Volume 89, Issue 1, February 1993, Pages 45-53

https://doi.org/10.1016/0168-5597(93)90084-3 Get rights and content

Abstract

This study investigated how the mechanical characteristics of tendon vibration influence the responses of human muscle receptors. In this study, we used a tendon vibrator in which the force, displacement and frequency of vibration were precisely controlled. The tendon vibrator could produce large amplitude displacements, so it was also used to impose ramp-and-hold stretches to the tendon to help classify muscle spindle afferents. In normal human subjects, we recorded microneurographically from single muscle afferents during tendon vibration to determine how afferent responses are influenced by the force and the displacement applied to the tendon and how these influences of force and displacement change with vibration frequency. Our results indicate that the sensitivity of muscle spindle afferents to tendon vibration is enhanced by increasing force and displacement and decreased by increasing frequency. It is concluded that, in order to predict the afferent response to vibration, the mechanical characteristics of tendon vibration must be controlled. Controlling the mechanical characteristics of tendon vibration and understanding the effect of vibration on afferent discharge will be useful for furthering our understanding of the peripheral control of movement.

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Cited by (47)

The tightening parameters of the vibratory devices modify their disturbing postural effects
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Citation Excerpt :
Firstly, the more important pressure exerted by the vibrators on the tendon may have participated in increasing intramuscular tension and altered the sensitivity of the soleus muscle spindles to the stimuli. Indeed, Cordo et al. (1993) reported that the sensitivity of the muscle afferents to tendon vibration can be critically influenced by the force applied perpendicularly by the device. Secondly, the pressure exerted by the devices in contact with the skin created local distortions depending on the tightening parameters used.
The purpose was to specify the impact of two different forces exerted by vibratory devices on the Achilles tendon on postural balance. The postural balance of 13 participants was evaluated on a force platform in two 40 s bipedal stance conditions with closed eyes. Tendon vibrations (80 Hz) were triggered 10 s after the beginning of the postural evaluation and applied during 20 s. Two levels of the force exerted by the vibrators were calibrated using load cells to control the tightening parameters of the vibrators: a strong tightening (ST) condition at 45 N and a light tightening (LT) condition at 5 N. The soleus electromyographic (EMG) activity and the spatio-temporal parameters of displacement of the centre of foot pressure (COP) were analysed. To analyse the effects of the introduction, the adaptation and the end of the stimulation, non-parametric tests were used. The results indicated that the soleus EMG activity increased only in the ST condition. However, during the vibration the anteroposterior COP position was significantly more in a backward position in the LT condition. At the end of the vibration, COP parameters increased more in the LT condition than the ST condition. This study demonstrated that the effects of the vibration depended on the force exerted by the devices on the tendons. The ST increased the vibration effects on EMG activity through greater stimulating effects compared to the LT. However, the ST could also increase the ankle joint stiffness and/or somaesthetic sensory information, which attenuated the COP backward shift.
The effects of kinesthetic illusory sensation induced by a visual stimulus on the corticomotor excitability of the leg muscles
2012, Neuroscience Letters
Citation Excerpt :
It is well known that kinesthesia plays a crucial role in motor execution and motor learning [2,9,16,23–25]. Previous study has demonstrated that humans can experience vivid kinesthetic sensations of limb movement as a result of an external stimulus such as a proprioceptive or visual stimulus without any overt movement [1,6–8,11–15,17–21,26,27]. Tendon vibration, one of the most-investigated ways to induce kinesthetic illusions, increases muscle spindle activity, so that the subjects experience a kinesthetic sensation of the vibrated muscle being stretched [11,15,17–21].
A novel method of visual stimulus, reported by Kaneko et al. [14], induced a vivid kinesthetic illusion and increased the corticomotor excitability of the finger muscles without any overt movement. To explore the effect of this method on the lower limbs, motor evoked potentials (MEP) were recorded from the left tibialis anterior (TA) and soleus muscles using transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS). A computer screen that showed the moving image of an ankle movement was placed over the subject's leg, and its position was modulated to induce an illusory sensation that the subject's own ankle was moving (illusion condition). TMS was delivered at rest and at two different times during the illusion condition (ankle dorsiflexion phase: illusion-DF; ankle plantarflexion phase: illusion-PF). The MEP amplitude of the TA, which is the agonist muscle for ankle dorsiflexion, was significantly increased during the illusion-DF condition. This indicated that the visual stimulus showing the moving image of an ankle movement could induce a kinesthetic illusion and selectively increase the corticomotor excitability in an agonist muscle for an illusion, as was previously reported for an upper limb. The MEP amplitude of the soleus, which is the agonist muscle for ankle plantarflexion, increased during the illusion-PF condition, but not significantly. Because of the vividness of the illusory sensation was significantly greater during the illusion-DF condition than the illusion-PF condition, we concluded that the vividness of the illusory sensation had a crucial role in increasing corticomotor excitability.
Effect of vibration-induced postural illusion on anticipatory postural adjustment of voluntary arm movement in standing humans
2002, Gait and Posture
We investigated the contribution of sensory signals arising from muscle proprioceptive receptors to anticipatory postural adjustments (APAs). During vibration applied to ankle (tibialis anterior; TA, soleus; Sol) or neck muscles, subjects generally describe having illusory sensations of whole-body movement, namely, whole-body movement in a backward and forward direction induced by vibration of the Sol or TA, respectively, and the front or back surface of the neck muscles, respectively. Preceding electromyographic (EMG) activity of the ipsilateral biceps femoris (BFi) muscle induced by rapid voluntary arm movement and the typical phenomenon of APA were changed dependent on these illusory whole-body movements, with preceding EMG activities of BFi appearing earlier in vibration applied to TA and later in vibration applied to Sol muscle. In vibration applied to the back surface of neck muscle, preceding EMG activities of BFi appeared earlier, as with vibration applied to TA. On the contrary, in vibration applied to the front surface of neck muscles, preceding EMG activities of BFi appeared later, as with vibration applied to Sol. Based on these results, we discuss changes in the central processing of proprioceptive signals used for coding of the spatial orientation of the body and its contribution to postural stabilization.
Effect of robotic-assisted ankle training on gait in stroke participants: A case series study
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The preload force affects the perception threshold of muscle vibration-induced movement illusions
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^☆: Supported by National Institute of Health Grants AR31017 and AR01833 and National Health and Medical Research Council of Australia.

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Main articleForce and displacement-controlled tendon vibration in humans☆

Abstract

Brain Res.

Electroenceph. clin. Neurophysiol.

The relative sensitivity to vibration of muscle receptors of the cat

J. Physiol. (Lond.)

The responses of human muscle spindle endings to vibration of non-contracting muscles

J. Physiol. (Lond.)

The responses of human muscle spindle endings to vibration of contracting muscle

J. Physiol. (Lond.)

In-parallel and in-series behavior of human muscle spindle endings

J. Neurophysiol.

The effects of muscle vibration on the attainment of intended final position during voluntary human arm movements

Exp. Brain Res.

Vibration-induced changes in movement-related EMG activity in humans

Exp. Brain Res.

Proprioceptive guidance of human voluntary wrist movements studied using muscle vibration

J. Physiol. (Lond.)

Dynamic response of human muscle spindle afferents to stretch

J. Neurophysiol.

Classification of human muscle stretch receptor afferents: a Bayesian approach

J. Neurophysiol.

Position sense and state of contraction: the effects of vibration

J. Neurol. Neurosurg. Psychiat.

Main article
Force and displacement-controlled tendon vibration in humans☆