Effect of quadriceps contraction on upper limb position sense errors in humans

Abstract

Short-length muscle contraction (hold-short conditioning) causes limb position sense errors after the muscle returns to its intermediate length; this is due to intrafusal muscle thixotropy, which raises the muscle spindle sensitivity. In humans, contraction of muscles in the upper body (referred to as the Jendrassik manoeuvre) reinforces tendon reflexes in the lower limbs. However, it is unclear whether such a reinforcement manoeuvre enhances thixotropic position sense errors. We studied the effect of quadriceps contraction on upper limb position sense errors induced by hold-short conditioning of the biceps in 12 healthy men. Quadriceps contraction increased the tonic vibration reflex of the biceps, suggesting that quadriceps contraction has a reinforcing effect similar to that of the Jendrassik manoeuvre. After hold-short conditioning of the right biceps, subjects perceived that the conditioned forearm was placed in a more extended position than it actually was. Such position sense errors were enhanced during quadriceps contraction and the degree of error was increased with the intensity of the quadriceps contraction. These results suggest that limb position sense is affected by remote muscle contraction.