Abstract
Owing to the introduction of a special electrophysiological method [3]it has been possible to study spinal recurrent inhibition in humans. The method, however, is indirect and, being based on an H reflex technique, can only be tested in motor nuclei from which a large monosynaptic response can be obtained. We have developed a complementary method by which pharmacological stimulation of Renshaw cells is obtained [6]. It exploits the central cholinergic properties of l-acetylcarnitine [18], a substance which most likely acts potentiating the synaptic drive of the motoneurone collaterals [7], known to be the main source of excitation of Renshaw cells [15, 20]. The use of l-acetylcarnitine has allowed to establish the validity of the original methodology [6]and to confirm the presence of recurrent inhibition, tested either by the H reflex technique [11–13]or, if not possible, by the PSTH technique and/or rectified averaged EMG analysis [1, 4], in many limb motor nuclei. Thus, it can be expected that l-acetylcarnitine may be used as an independent means for identifying changes in motoneuronal activity related or attributed to the influence of Renshaw cells.
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