Mechanisms within the spinal cord are involved in the movement-induced attenuation of an H reflex in the dog.

Abstract

1. H reflexes were elicited in the second interosseous muscle of the hindpaw of the anesthetized dog during passive rotation of the shank about the ipsilateral or contralateral knee. Reflexes sampled at four points in the cycle of movement were compared with stationary controls. For both the ipsilateral and contralateral limb manipulations, reflexes were significantly reduced (P < 0.05) across the cycle of movement. Position-related modulation of the reflex amplitude was not detected (P > 0.05) in either instance. 2. The experiments were then repeated after the spinal transection of each animal at the level of T13. Passive rotation about either the ipsilateral or contralateral knee significantly attenuated (P < 0.05) the H reflex across a cycle of movement in the spinal dog. There was little difference in the amount of inhibition produced by the movement between the intact and spinal animals. On average, the reflex was attenuated 29 +/- 2.4% (mean +/- SE) in the intact animals and 32 +/- 2.1% in the spinal animals. 3. It is concluded that passive rotation about the knee of either leg leads to suppression of the H reflex of the second interosseous muscle both in the ipsilateral, moving leg and the contralateral, stationary one. This reflex suppression occurs across the cycle of movement. The mediating circuitry lies within the spinal cord, caudal to T13.