Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

Decoupling Of Stretch Reflex And Background Muscle Activity During Anticipatory Postural Adjustments In Humans, Siddharth Vedula, Robert Kearney, Ross Wagner, Paul Stapley

Dr Paul J Stapley

We studied the evolution of stretch reXexes in relation to background electromyographic (EMG) activity in the soleus muscle preceding the onset of voluntary arm raise movements. Our objective was to investigate if changes in reXex EMG and muscle activity occur simultaneously and are similarly scaled in amplitude. Ten human subjects stood with each foot on pedals able to exert short dorsiXexor pulses during stance. Subjects were asked to product consistent voluntary arm raise movements to a target upon a visual cue. In ¼ of trials, no pulse perturbations were given, but in the remaining ¾’s of all trials pulses were …