Prior muscle activation affects the compound muscle action potential.
Muscle Nerve 2019;
60:25-31. [PMID:
30847939 DOI:
10.1002/mus.26463]
[Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/25/2018] [Revised: 02/27/2019] [Accepted: 03/05/2019] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION
This study was performed to evaluate the effect of prior voluntary activation of a muscle on the subsequently-recorded compound muscle action potential (CMAP).
METHODS
The CMAPs from the hypothenar, thenar, and extensor digitorum brevis muscles were recorded in 6 healthy volunteers at rest and for up to 30 min following 5 separate epochs of up to 20 s of voluntary muscle activation.
RESULTS
There was consistent, significant (P < 0.02) enhancement of the negative area, amplitude, and duration of the CMAP after activation. The enhancement was maximal, up to 144% of baseline, within about 1 min post-activation; thereafter, the CMAP gradually returned to baseline over about 15 min.
DISCUSSION
Activation of a muscle within several minutes prior to testing enhances the subsequently-recorded CMAP. This observation highlights prior muscle activation as a physiological variable that influences the size of the CMAP during motor nerve conduction studies. Muscle Nerve, 2019.
Collapse