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Short-term plasticity of human spinal inhibitory circuits after isometric and isotonic ankle training

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Abstract

The purpose of this study was to determine to what extent one session of isotonic and isometric ankle dorsi and plantar flexion training induces changes in the frequency-dependent depression of the soleus H-reflex. Further, adaptation of reciprocal Ia inhibition exerted from tibialis anterior flexor group I afferents on soleus motoneurons, and presynaptic inhibition of Ia afferent terminals induced by a conditioning afferent volley following stimulation of the antagonist nerve were established with subjects seated before and after training. The soleus H-reflexes evoked at the inter-stimulus intervals of 1, 2, 3, 5, and 8 s were normalized to the mean amplitude of the H-reflex evoked every 10 s. Conditioned H-reflexes were normalized to the associated control H-reflex evoked with subjects seated before and after training. Twenty-six subjects were randomly assigned to one or more of the 4 exercise groups. Isometric ankle dorsi flexion training decreased the reciprocal and presynaptic inhibition, while isotonic ankle dorsi flexion had no significant effects. Isotonic plantar flexion training decreased only the reciprocal inhibition, whilst isometric plantar flexion had no significant effects on the reciprocal or presynaptic inhibition. None of the training exercise protocols affected the amount of homosynaptic depression of the soleus H-reflex. Our findings support the notion that plastic changes of reciprocal and presynaptic inhibition due to exercise are transferrable to a resting state, and that homosynaptic depression remains unaltered after a single session of ankle training. Further research is needed to outline the time-course of plastic changes of spinal inhibitory mechanisms in humans.

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Acknowledgments

Authors thank all participants for their voluntary participation to the study. This work was supported in part by the New York State Department of Health (NYSDOH)/Contract No. C023690, Wadsworth Center, NY, USA. The funding source had no involvement in study design, collection, analysis, or data interpretation.

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The authors have no conflicts of interest to report.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Physical Therapy, Graduate Center, College of Staten Island, City University of New York, 2800 Victory Blvd, Bldg 5N-207, Staten Island, NY, 10314, USA

    Traci Jessop, Alyssa DePaola, Lauren Casaletto, Chaya Englard & Maria Knikou

  2. Sensory Motor Performance Program, Rehabilitation Institute of Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA

    Maria Knikou

  3. Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL, USA

    Maria Knikou

  4. Electrophysiological Analysis of Gait and Posture Laboratory, 345 East Superior Street, Suite 1406, Chicago, IL, 60611, USA

    Maria Knikou

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  1. Traci Jessop
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  2. Alyssa DePaola
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  3. Lauren Casaletto
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  4. Chaya Englard
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  5. Maria Knikou
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Correspondence to Maria Knikou.

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Communicated by Fausto Baldissera.

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Jessop, T., DePaola, A., Casaletto, L. et al. Short-term plasticity of human spinal inhibitory circuits after isometric and isotonic ankle training. Eur J Appl Physiol 113, 273–284 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00421-012-2438-1

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00421-012-2438-1

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