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Changes in tibialis anterior corticospinal properties after acute prolonged muscle vibration

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Abstract

Purpose

Prolonged local vibration is known to impair muscle performance. While involved mechanisms were previously evidenced at the spinal level, changes at the cortical level were also hypothesized. The aims of the present study were to investigate the effects of 30 min of 100-Hz tibialis anterior muscle vibration on force production capacities and to further identify the respective changes in spinal loop properties, descending voluntary drive and corticospinal properties.

Methods

Thirteen subjects were tested before and after a vibration condition, and before and after a resting control condition. Maximal voluntary contraction (MVC) in dorsiflexion was measured. Transcranial magnetic stimulation was superimposed during MVCs to assess cortical voluntary activation (VATMS), motor-evoked potential amplitude (MEP) and cortical silent period length (CSP). MEP and CSP were also measured during 50 and 75 % MVC contractions. Spinal excitability was investigated by mean of H-reflex.

Results

There were no vibration effects on MVC (p = 0.805), maximal EMG activity (p = 0.653), VATMS (p = 1), and CSP (p = 0.877). Vibration tended to decrease MEP amplitude (p = 0.117). H-reflex amplitude was depressed following vibration (p = 0.008).

Conclusions

Dorsiflexion maximal force production capacities were unaffected by 30 min of tibialis anterior muscle vibration, despite spinal loop and corticospinal excitabilities being reduced. These findings suggest that acute prolonged vibration has the potential to modulate corticospinal excitability of lower limb muscles without a concomitant functional consequence.

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Abbreviations

CSP:

Cortical silent period

CSP50 :

CSP recorded during 50 % MVC contraction

CSPMVC :

CSP recorded during MVC

ERT:

Estimated resting twitch

MEP:

Motor-evoked potential

MEP50 :

MEP recorded during 50 % MVC contraction

MEPMVC :

MEP recorded during MVC

Mmax :

Peak to peak amplitude of the maximal M-wave

MVC:

Maximal voluntary contraction

RMS:

Root mean square of electromyography

rMT:

Resting motor threshold

SIT:

Superimposed twitch

SITMVC :

Superimposed twitch during MVC

TA:

Tibialis anterior muscle

TMS:

Transcranial magnetic stimulation

VATMS :

Cortical voluntary activation

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Acknowledgments

We sincerely acknowledge Dr. Léonard Féasson for conducting medical inclusions and Régis Bonnefoy for technical assistance. Robin Souron was supported by a doctoral research Grant from the University Jean Monnet of Saint Etienne.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Univ Lyon, UJM-Saint-Etienne, Laboratoire Interuniversitaire de Biologie de la Motricité, EA 7424, F-42023, SAINT-ETIENNE, France

    Adrien Farabet, Robin Souron & Thomas Lapole

  2. Human Performance Laboratory, Faculty of Kinesiology, University of Calgary, Calgary, Canada

    Guillaume Y. Millet

Authors
  1. Adrien Farabet
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  2. Robin Souron
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  3. Guillaume Y. Millet
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  4. Thomas Lapole
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Correspondence to Thomas Lapole.

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Communicated by Toshio Moritani.

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Farabet, A., Souron, R., Millet, G.Y. et al. Changes in tibialis anterior corticospinal properties after acute prolonged muscle vibration. Eur J Appl Physiol 116, 1197–1205 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00421-016-3378-y

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00421-016-3378-y

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