Modulation of motor evoked potentials by muscle vibration: The role of vibration frequency

• Published in: Muscle & nerve Vol. 22; no. 11; pp. 1544 - 1548
• Main Authors: Siggelkow, Sabine, Kossev, Andon, Schubert, Margot, Kappels, Hans-Hermann, Wolf, Werner, Dengler, Reinhard
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: New York John Wiley & Sons, Inc 01.11.1999; Wiley
• Subjects: Adult; Biological and medical sciences; Electric Stimulation; Evoked Potentials, Motor - physiology; Female; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Humans; Magnetics; Male; Motor control and motor pathways. Reflexes. Control centers of vegetative functions. Vestibular system and equilibration; motor evoked potentials; muscle vibration; Muscle, Skeletal - physiology; Periodicity; Reaction Time - physiology; transcranial magnetic stimulation; Vertebrates: nervous system and sense organs; Vibration; vibration frequencies; Human; Vibration; Motor pathway; Mechanoreceptor; Central nervous system; Electrophysiology; Striated muscle; Muscle spindle; Motor cortex; Modulation; Magnetic stimulus; Frequency; Motor evoked potential; Brain (vertebrata)
• ISSN: 0148-639X; 1097-4598
• DOI: 10.1002/(SICI)1097-4598(199911)22:11<1544::AID-MUS9>3.0.CO;2-8

Augmentation of motor evoked potentials (MEPs) by muscle vibration (MV) was studied in 10 healthy subjects with regard to the vibration frequency (VF). The extensor carpi radialis muscle (ECR) was vibrated using VFs of 80, 120, and 160 Hz. Motor evoked potentials following transcranial magnetic stimulation were recorded simultaneously from the vibrated ECR and the antagonist flexor carpi radialis muscle (FCR) without MV, 0.5 s and 3 s after onset of MV and 1 s after offset. Only the VFs of 80 Hz and 120 Hz caused MEP augmentation and latency shortening in ECR, whereas depression of MEPs in FCR was induced by all VFs used. It appears that MEP augmentation and latency shortening in ECR are mediated by the primary muscle spindle endings which respond with optimal discharge rates to VFs of up to 100 Hz. Motor evoked potential depression in FCR, being well expressed also with VF 160 Hz, seems to involve other dynamic mechanoreceptors. © 1999 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. Muscle Nerve 22: 1544–1548, 1999