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1

Variability and plasticity of motor unit properties in mammalian skeletal muscle

Celichowski J., Krutki P.

Biocybernetics and Biomedical Engineering

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2012

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Vol. 32, no. 4

33-45

EN

In the majority of mammalian skeletal muscles, contractile properties of motor units are variable and three main types of these units can be distinguished. The present review summarizes: results of studies of motor unit properties in the medial gastrocnemius muscle and their variability in two species, cats and rats, and studies on differences of motor unit properties in two genders. Moreover, plasticity of motor unit properties in rat medial gastrocnemius evoked by two kinds of spinal cord injury, total transection and hemisection, is reviewed, and effects of two types of training, treadmill locomotor and whole-body vibration training, are summarized. Finally, changes in the motor unit properties during the aging process are presented.

2

Motor unit contractions evoked by stimulation with variable interpulse intervals

Krutki P., Celichowski J., Raikova R.

Biocybernetics and Biomedical Engineering

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2012

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Vol. 32, no. 3

29-42

EN

During natural contractions motor units (MUs) are activated by variable frequency discharge patterns of motoneurones. The aim of this review was (1) to discuss differences between tetanic contractions developed at constant and random frequencies of pulses; (2) to show results of mathematical decomposition of these tetani into series of twitch-shaped responses to individual pulses; (3) to indicate that it is possible to predict the tetanic force of a MU with high accuracy by using regression equations derived on a basis of the relationships between the parameters of the decomposed twitches and the force level at which the next response begins.

3

The tetanic depression in unfused tetani of fast motor units in mammalian muscle

Celichowski J.

Biocybernetics and Biomedical Engineering

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2005

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Vol. 25, no. 4

27-35

EN

Tetanic depression is a phenomenon that limits the force of unfused tetani in contractions evoked at unstable stimulation frequencies. In our experiments this phenomenon was visible in tetani evoked at two frequencies of stimulation: the lower immediately followed by the higher one. The force at the higher stimulation frequency was evidently depressed in relation to the force achieved during the control constant-frequency stimulations. This depression concerned the fast motor units and it was not observed in the slow units. The tetanic depression was initially found in the rat medial gastrocnemius muscle. However, it is not clear whether this phenomenon is specific only to the rat muscle or it concerns all mammals. Therefore, in the subsequent series of experiments, the tetanic depression was investigated in the motor units of the feline medial gastrocnemius, and the effect was also observed in all fast units. The maximum evoked depression exceeded 50% of the control values. Moreover, the analysis of the relationship between the amplitude of the tetanic depression and the degree of the tetanic fusion revealed that the strongest amplitude of depression was observed in the middle-fused tetani (with the fusion index in the range 0.5-0.7). The third experimental series proved that the tetanic depression could be visible in tetani evoked at a progressively increasing frequency of stimulation. Moreover, it was found that the effect of the force decrease could result from the prolongation of only one, the first interpulse interval. The amplitude of this decrease exceeded 20% of the control values. Summarizing, the tetanic depression is a phenomenon influencing the force of unfused tetani of the fast motor units at an increasing stimulation frequency. The depressive effect is present in various species of mammals, probably, including human. The amplitude of the depression depends on the fusion of the tetanic contraction. The physiological significance of tetanic depression is closely related to reduction of the importance of the motoneuronal firing rate.