Spinal inhibition in man: depression of the soleus H reflex by stimulation of the nerve to the antagonist muscle.

Publisher Website
Google Scholar
Abstract
A period of inhibition of the soleus H reflex, called D1 inhibition, follows stimulation of the nerve to the antagonist muscles, the peroneal nerve, in normal man. Earlier descriptions of D1 are confirmed, and an intracord latency of .apprx. 4-5 ms and a reduction of the H reflex by .apprx. 60% are shown. D1 reaches its maximum 15-20 ms after stimulation and its duration is > 30 ms. Effective stimuli were volleys of 2-5 pulses given as 10 ms duration bursts at a strength of 1.2 motor thresholds. Cutaneous afferents were ineffective and the possibility that D1 is mediated by low threshold muscle afferents is discussed. D1 produces the same proportions of inhibition of the H reflex when the H reflex is facilitated by plantarflexion or depressed by dorsiflexion.