Mechanically and electrically elicited monosynaptic reflexes in man.

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Abstract
Nerve potentials were recorded with needle electrodes from the tibial nerve in the popliteal fossa and from the sciatic nerve in the thigh on electrical stimulation of the posterior tibial nerve; muscle action potentials were recorded simultaneously from the calf muscles. An efferent volley occurred frequently at an intensity sub-threshold for the reflex, indicating the need for spatial summation before a reflex develops. On maximal ankle jerk, produced by tendon stretch of 1.0-1.6 msec, no nerve potentials were recorded. This was interpreted to indicate that the afferent volley is dispersed and that temporal summation is also important in the development of this reflex. Similar results were obtained with recordings from other nerves. Duration of muscle action potentials of electrically and mechanically evoked reflexes was the same, indicating that no particular dispersion of the efferent volley occurred. It is concluded that mechanically and electrically evoked reflexes are not identical and that inferences regarding function of the fusimotor system by the relationship of changes in these reflexes may not be justified.

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