Muscle contractile properties directly influence shared synaptic inputs to spinal motor neurons

Abstract

AbstractAlpha band oscillations in shared synaptic inputs to the alpha motor neuron pool can be considered an involuntary source of noise that hinders precise voluntary force production. This study investigated the impact of altering muscle length on the shared synaptic oscillations to spinal motor neurons, particularly in the physiological tremor band. Fourteen healthy individuals performed low-level dorsiflexion contractions at ankle joint angles of 90° and 130°, while high-density surface electromyography (HD-sEMG) was recorded from the tibialis anterior (TA). We decomposed the HDsEMG into motor units spike trains and calculated the motor units’ coherence within the delta (1-5 Hz), alpha (5-15 Hz) and beta (15-35 Hz) bands. Additionally, torque steadiness and torque spectral power within the tremor band was quantified. Results showed no significant differences in torque steadiness between 90° and 130°. In contrast, alpha band oscillations in both synaptic inputs and force output decreased as the length of the TA was moved from shorter (90°) to longer (130°), with no changes in delta and beta bands. In a second set of experiments, evoked twitches were recorded with the ankle joint at 70° and 130°, revealing longer twitch durations in the longer muscle lengthen condition compared to the shorter. These experimental results, supported by a simple computational simulation, suggest that increasing muscle length enhances the muscle’s low-pass filtering properties, influencing the oscillations generated by the Ia afferent feedback loop. Therefore, this study provides valuable insights into the interplay between muscle biomechanics and neural oscillations.