Midterm 1 Flashcards
What are the exit/entrance points of efferent and afferent fibres?
Efferent exit through the ventral root
Afferent enter through the dorsal root
What are the morphological features of the motor neuron?
- large dendritic tree
- soma
- axon
- presynaptic terminal
Define motor pool
Motor pool : a collection of motor neurone that all innervate a particular muscle
What is a Collection of motor units that all innervate a particular muscle?
Motor neuron pool
Describe the concept of cervical enlargement
Cervical enlargement explains that there are motor neuron pools for the arms, legs (lumbar), etc. Proximal muscles are closer to the spinal cord, while distal muscles are more lateral
Define motor unit
Motor unit: the motor cell and all of the fibres that it innervates
What is the term for a motor cell and it’s innervated fibres?
Motor unit
Define innervation ratio
Innervation ratio: the number of muscle fibres innervated by a single motor neuron. Varies for different muscles
What is the name for the number of muscle fibres that is innervated by a single motor neuron
Innervation ratio
List the different innervation ratios for gastrocnemius, eye muscles, and hand muscle
Gastrocnemius = 1:1900
Eye muscle = 1:15
DI = 1:342
What are the three types of muscle fibres and their conduction speeds
Slow twitch = 50 m/s
Fast fatigue resistant = 80m/s
Fast fatiguable = 110m/s
What size of muscle is typically innervated by fast twitch fibres?
Large muscle groups. They take more stimulation to be activated
What are some characteristics of slow twitch motor neurons?
Speed = 50m/s
High input resistance, easier to excite
Longer refractory period
Define rheobase and input resistance
Input resistance : measures the changes in the potential of the membrane
High in small motor neurons
Rheobase: direct measure of the current required to fire a neuron
Low in small motor neurons
Define twitch
Twitch: a physiological, quanta response of a motor unit to stimulation. This is a force time to a single motor unit
- contraction time of 50 ms
What is a physiological, quantal response of a single motor unit to stimulation?
Twitch
What is the time for a twitch contraction?
50ms
What happens to discharge frequency when force increases?
Discharge frequency increases
Explain fused vs unfurled tetanus
Tetanus: prolonged contraction of a muscle
Fused = smooth contraction wave due to increased discharge frequency
Unfused= bumpy contraction wave due to decreased discharge frequency
How can we differentiate the types of motor units by their characteristics?
Contraction time
- slow = Long contraction
- FO = medium contraction
- FG = quick contraction
Peak
- slow = low peak 2g (1s)
- FO = medium peak 10g ()
- FG = high peak at 60 g ()
Half relaxation time
- slow = long
- fo - medium
- fg = very short
What is the behaviour of the motor unit dependent on?
The fibre AND the neuron it is connected to
Motor unit definition
motor unit: the muscle cell and it’s innervated fibres
What two methods can be used to record motor units?
- Metal microelectrode - needle
- Fine wires - uses ultrasound
On an EMG, what would the motor units look like? Draw them out
(Motor units average +-0.75 volts)
How is muscle force controlled?
Two major physiological methods
1. Recruit more motor units
2. Increase discharge frequency
What was discovered by Denny-brown in 1938?
Denny brown reported that the performance of a particular movement always appeared to be accomplished by the activation of motor units in a set sequence (orderly recruitment)
- motor unit #1 is activated and remains that way as long as the force doesn’t decrease, and then more motor units are added as the force increases
What is henemans’s size principle
States that motor units are recruited by size as force increases
Due to variations in motor unit size
Define recruitment threshold and derecruitment
Recruitment threshold: the minimum force that sustains the activation of fibres
DeRecruitment: sequential inactivation of fibres
Why recruit motor units in an orderly fashion?
Because big motor units recruited at the end will provide a big jump in net force. Since the sequence is predetermined, the brain doesn’t have to work with 500 switches, but instead can control the level of the input to the motor pool
With this, however, there is an inability to activate the units out of order
What is the relative contribution of recruitment for the adductor pollicis, first dorsal interosseus, and biceps brachii
Adductor pollicis and first dorsal interosseous – all motor units are recruited when the force reaches 50% of the max
Biceps brachii – motor unit recruitment continues until 85% max
What is the shape of the force frequency relationship?
Sigmoidal or S shaped
Draw the curve for the peak force and frequency as well as the graph for peak force percentage of maximum and frequency
What is double discharge?
Refers to two discharges in succession that result in a big jump in force production. Becomes more frequent with fatigue and the discharge is typically between 7 to 35 Hz (30-140ms after ap)
Define synchrony
The degree to which motor units within a muscle fire together at the same time
What might be the reason for short term synchronization?
Short term synchronization is likely due to a common presynaptic input, meaning that they receive the input from the same spot and converge into one neuron for a quicker synchronization
What occurs more frequently in large contractions and fatigue?
Synchrony
What does synchrony look like in musicians and normal people?
Musicians and the dominant hand of normal people both have less synchrony
Define neuromuscular Compartmentalization, how many compartments are in biceps brachialis and extensor digitorum?
Subdivisions of the muscle that can be activated singly or in combination. Each compartment contains motor units that activate a certain part of the muscle. Biceps brachii has two compartments and extensor digitorium has four