The Journal of Neurophysiology Vol. 87 No. 1 January 2002, pp. 286-294
Copyright ©2002 by the American Physiological Society

Tonic and Phasic Discharge Patterns in Toe Flexor -Motoneurons During Locomotion in the Decerebrate Cat

Department of Neurosciences, Medical School, University of Newcastle, Newcastle upon Tyne NE2 4HH, United Kingdom

Murphy, P. R. Tonic and Phasic Discharge Patterns in Toe Flexor -Motoneurons During Locomotion in the Decerebrate Cat. J. Neurophysiol. 87: 286-294, 2002. To investigate the specificity of fusimotor () drive during locomotion, -efferents were recorded from the flexor digitorum longus (FDL) and flexor hallucis longus (FHL) nerves in a decerebrate cat preparation. These nerves innervate hindlimb muscles that differ in some aspects of their mechanical action. For both FHL and FDL two stereotyped patterns of  activity were distinguished. Tonic units fired throughout the step cycle and had less modulation, but higher minimum rates, than phasic units, which were mainly recruited with ankle extensor [soleus (SOL)] electromyogram (EMG) activity. Differences in the relative timing of these patterns were apparent. In FHL the activity of phasic and most tonic neurons peaked after EMG onset. With FDL, tonic units generally reached maximum rate before, while phasic units peaked after, the beginning of EMG activity. During locomotion FHL and FDL  activity were rhythmically recruited with SOL. However, consistent with previous reports, FHL and FDL differed in their patterns of  activity. FHL was stereotyped while FDL was variable. Both FHL and FDL had activity related to ankle extensor EMG, but only FDL exhibited a peak around the end of this phase. No corresponding  activity was observed in FDL. In conclusion, 1) FHL and FDL received tonic and phasic fusimotor drive; 2) there was no / linkage for the late FDL  burst; 3) phasic -efferents in both muscles received similar inputs, linked to plantar flexor  activity; and 4) tonic -efferents differed, to the extent that they were modulated at all. The FHL units peaked with the plantar flexor alphas. The FDL neurons generally peaked before  activity even began.