Abstract
In decerebrate cats, the dynamic responses of Renshaw cells to step changes in input were determined seperately both for changes in the number of α-axons excited and for changes in the frequency at which they were stimulated. Together, these two input variables to the Renshaw cells describe the level of activity in the motor output from the spinal cord.
In either case, the dynamic responses of the interneurons depend only on their static activity before and after an input step occurs, but are otherwise indistinguishable. This favors the interpretation that the two input variables are equivalent under dynamic conditions, i.e., Renshaw cells respond to total motor output.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Adrian ED, Bronk DW (1928) The discharge of impulses in motor nerve fibres. I. Impulses in single fibres of the phrenic nerve. J Physiol 66:81–101
Adrian ED, Bronk DW (1929) The discharge of impulses in motor nerve fibres. II. The frequency of discharge in reflex and voluntary contractions. J Physiol 67:119–151
Cleveland S, Ross HG (1977) Dynamic properties of Renshaw cells: Frequency response characteristics. Biol Cybern 27:175–184
Cleveland S, Ross HG (1981) Antidromic inhibition of spinal motoneurons reflects the response properties of Renshaw cells. Pflügers Arch 389:R33
Cleveland S, Kuschmierz A, Ross HG (1981) Static input-output relations in the spinal recurrent inhibitory pathway. Biol Cybern 40:223–231
Deliagina TG, Feldman AG (1981) Activity of Renshaw cells during fictive scratch reflex in the cat. Exp Brain Res 42:108–115
Eccles JC, Fatt P, Koketsu K (1954) Cholinergic and inhibitory synapses in a pathway from motor-axon collaterals to motoneurones. J Physiol 126:524–562
Frank K, Fuortes MGF (1956) Unitary activity of spinal interneurons of cats. J Physiol 131:424–435
Granit R, Renkin B (1961) Net depolarization and discharge rate of motoneurones, as measured by recurrent inhibition. J Physiol 158:461–475
Haase J (1963) Die Transformation des Entladungsmusters der Renshaw-Zellen bei tetanischer antidromer Reizung. Pflügers Arch 276:471–480
Haase J, Cleveland S, Ross HG (1975) Problems of postsynaptic autogenous and recurrent inhibition in the mammalian spinal cord. Rev Physiol Biochem Pharmacol 73:73–129
Hultborn H, Pierrot-Deseilligny E (1979) Input-output relations in the pathway of recurrent inhibition to motoneurones in the cat. J Physiol 297:267–287
Hultborn H, Lindström S, Wigström H (1979) On the function of recurrent inhibition in the spinal cord. Exp Brain Res 37:399–403
Kernell D, Sjöholm H (1975) Recruitment and firing rate modulation of motor unit tension in a small muscle of the cat's foot. Brain Res 98:57–72
van Keulen LCM (1979) Relations between individual motoneurons and individual Renshaw cells. Neurosci Lett [Suppl] 3:S313
van Meter WG (1978) Temporal analysis of post tetanic depression of antidromically activated Renshaw cells. Soc Neurosci [Abstr] 4:572
Milner-Brown HS, Stein RB, Yemm R (1973a) The orderly recruitment of human motor units during voluntary isometric contractions. J Physiol 230:359–370
Milner-Brown HS, Stein RB, Yemm R (1973b) Changes in firing rate of human motor units during linearly changing voluntary contractions. J Physiol 230:371–390
Noske W, Ross HG, Cleveland S, Haase J (1974) Decrease of antidromic inhibition due to orthodromic tetanic stimuli. Pflügers Arch 350:223–230
Ostle B (1963) Statistics in research. Iowa University Press, Ames, Iowa
Pompeiano O, Wand P, Sontag KH (1975) The relative sensitivity of Renshaw cells to orthodromic group Ia volleys caused by static stretch and vibration of extensor muscles. Arch Ital Biol 113:238–279
Renshaw B (1946) Central effects of centripetal impulses in axons of spinal ventral roots. J Neurophysiol 9:191–204
Ross HG, Cleveland S, Haase J (1972) Quantitative relation of Renshaw cell discharge to monosynaptic reflex height. Pflügers Arch 332:73–79
Ross HG, Cleveland S, Wolf E, Haase J (1973) Changes in the excitability of Renshaw cells due to orthodromic tetanic stimuli. Pflügers Arch 344:299–307
Ross HG, Cleveland S, Haase J (1975) Contribution of single motoneurons to Renshaw cell activity. Neurosci Lett 1:105–108
Ross HG, Cleveland S, Haase J (1976) Qualitative relation between discharge frequencies of a Renshaw cell and an intracellularly depolarized motoneuron. Neurosci Lett 3:129–132
Ryall RW, Piercey MF, Polosa C, Goldfarb J (1972) Excitation of Renshaw cells in relation to orthodromic and antidromic excitation of motoneurons. J Neurophysiol 35:137–148
Stein RB (1974) Peripheral control of movement. Physiol Rev 54: 215–243
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Additional information
Our friend and colleague Alfred Kuschmierz died on 17 October 1981 at the age of 29
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Ross, H.G., Cleveland, S. & Kuschmierz, A. Dynamic properties of renshaw cells: Equivalence of responses to step changes in recruitment and discharge frequency of motor axons. Pflugers Arch. 394, 239–242 (1982). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00589098
Received:
Accepted:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00589098