035 Motor System (Spinal Mechanism)

Central Reflexes (slide 12: types of central reflexes)

1) Muscle stretch reflex = tendon-jerk reflex and muscle tone.
 Definition
It is reflex contraction of a muscle in response to its stretch.
 Names
- Stretch reflex: according to stimulus.
- Myotatic reflex: according to receptor & effector.
- Muscle spindle reflex: according to receptor.
- Muscle to muscle reflex: according to sites of stimulation & response.
 Importance
It is a –ve feedback reflex that returns the muscle back to its normal length when stretched and helps maintain limb position
as loads vary.
- Allows better muscle contraction
- load reflex
- Compensate for muscle weakness or fatigue
 Components
- Stimulus: stretch of the muscle.
- Receptor: Muscle spindle (intrafusal fibers).
- Afferent: Type 1a (Aα) rapidly conducting and II.
- Center: spinal cord, AHCs; alpha motor neurons supplying the agonist muscle ,the only monosynaptic reflex in the body
(direct synaptic contact between afferent & efferent) .
- Efferent: Aα (LMN = α motor neuron)
- Effector: Contractile extrafusal fibers.
- Response: Contraction of the stretched muscle.
 Types
a) Dynamic
b) Static

 Properties
a) Spinal deep reflex (spinal cord is the center, deep receptors in muscle).
b) Monosynaptic reflex.
c) Short reflex time (only afferent & efferent, no interneurons)  the fastest reflex in the body (why?)
- Rapidly conducting afferent - Monosynaptic with least central delay. - Rapidly conducting efferent.
Note: both afferent and efferent are large diameter – 1a afferent the largest diameter axons in the body. Hence the fastest conducting.
d) Shows reciprocal innervation (The 1a inhibitory interneuron provides the pathway for the reciprocal stretch reflex that
allows relaxation of the antagonist muscle during stretch of the agonist )  Reciprocal Stretch reflex.
e) Its activity is controlled by higher centers changing the activity of γ neurons.
f) It is inhibited by:
- Active muscle contraction.
- Stimulation of the stretch reflex of the antagonist muscle.
- Stimulation of Golgi tendon organ reflex (inverse stretch reflex) inhibitory.
g) It is a semi quantitative reflex (may be diminished, lost, or increased)
 Functions of stretch reflex
a. It is the basis of muscle tone.
Muscle tone: continuous partial submaximal contraction of skeletal muscle during rest.
- it’s a static stretch reflex (by the nuclear chain)
- Causes of maintained stretch:
 Length of muscles is shorter than the distance from origin to insertion.
 Effect of gravity.  Continuous γ static discharge.
- Functions of muscle tone:
 Keeps body temperature.  Keeps viscera in position.  Keeps venous & lymphatic return.
-Causes of infatiguability from tone:
 Sub tetanic.  Alternating.  Slow oxidative fatigue resistant fibers.
b. Its servo-assists voluntary movements = α – γ coactivation (load reflex)
ability of the muscle to maintain a constant position despite application of different weights.
-Supraspinal facilitatory impulses activate both (α) and (γ) neurons  contraction of both extrafusal fibers and peripheral contractile part
of nuclear bag fibers  The receptor is sensitive to stretch even during muscle contraction.
- Unexpected ↑load  stretch of the muscle  stimulation of the central receptor part  ↑ impulses in afferents  more excitation of α
motor neurons  reflex potentiation of muscle contraction.
c. Damping action.
ability to prevent oscillation or jerkiness of body movements.
 smoothing function
• Signals from the spinal cord are often transmitted to a muscle in an unsmooth form, increasing in intensity for a few milliseconds, then
decreasing in intensity, then changing to another intensity level, and so forth. When the muscle spindle apparatus is not functioning
satisfactorily, the muscle contraction is jerky during such a signal.
 Signal averaging function of the muscle spindle reflex.

 Supra-spinal centers affecting SR. (IMPORTANT)

 Muscle spindle and γ discharge

• Specialized encapsulated mechanoreceptor that monitors muscle length.
• One end of the capsule is attached to the tendon of the muscle. The other end is attached to an extrafusal fiber.
• Consists of 3-10 intrafusal fibers parallel to ordinary contractile extrafusal fibers.
• Intrafusal fibers are of 2 types: Intrafusal fibers have:
1- nuclear bag fibers 1- Central receptor stretchable part.
2- nuclear chain fibers 2- Peripheral contractile, non-receptor part.

• innervation of muscle spindle

What is the mechanism of stimulation of intrafusal fibers?

By stretch of the central part by:
1. Lengthening of the whole muscle. 2. γ efferent discharge.
 • Effect of γ discharge\stimulation
 reflex muscle contraction.
 prevents unloading: decrease firing from spindle receptors during contraction of extrafusal fibers.
 increase sensitivity of the muscle spindle to stretch.
• γ Static  peripheral contractile parts of nuclear chain  increase sensitivity of chain fibers.
• γ Dynamic  peripheral contractile parts of nuclear bag  increase sensitivity of bag fibers.

• Spindle sensitivity maintained with alpha-gamma co-activation.

Alpha and gamma motor neurons are co-activated during voluntary movements.
reinforce alpha motor activity and increased spindle activity during muscle shortening.

2) Inverse Myotatic reflex Golgi Tendon Organ.

 Definition
A reflex relaxation of a muscle in response to its severe stretch or severe contraction.
 Components
- Stimulus: High tension due to severe stretching or contraction of the muscle.
- Receptor: Golgi tendon organ.
- Afferent: Type Ib.
- Center: spinal cord, AHCs with - inhibitory interneuron.
- Efferent: inhibition of Aα (LMN = α - motor neuron)
- Effector: Contractile extrafusal fibers.
- Response: relaxation.
Note: the GTO functions at low tensions too
 Importance
• It helps to regulate muscle force that is essential for normal movement control
• Prevents rupture & avulsion of tendon in case of severe increase in tension. (Convergence 1b inhibitory interneurons)
• Equalizes the contraction force between muscle fibers during voluntary contraction.

3) Cerebellar stretch reflex.

• When a contracting muscle meets a very heavy load
 impulses ascend to the cerebellum (long loop for example spinocerebellar tracts) and return back very fast to spinal cord 
strong facilitation of (γ) motor neurons increase the muscle contraction.
• It is a long multi-synaptic reflex.

Note: if proprioceptive info goes to  spinal cord  stretch reflex

 cerebellum  it has no access to alpha MN but it sends signals to gamma MN that
gggggggggggggggggggggg help the contraction indirectly
4) Superficial reflexes.
 Types
1- Flexor withdrawal reflex
2- Superficial abdominal reflexes (T7-12).
3- Plantar reflex (S1-2).
4- Cremasteric reflex (L1-2).
 Superficial reflexes are modulated by higher centers.
 Components
• Stimulus: Scratching of skin.
• Receptors: Superficial receptors.
• Afferent: Sensory fibers that enter spinal cord via dorsal horn.
• Center: Spinal cord, segments
• Efferent: Motor fibers that leave spinal cord via anterior horn.
• Effector: Extrafusal fibers.
• Response: Contraction of a muscle.
5) Flexor withdrawal reflex.
 Definition
reflex contraction to move the limb away from a noxious stimulus.
 Components
- Stimulus: noxious stimuli
- Receptor: sensory cutaneous (& may be deep) receptors
- Afferent: sensory neuron enters SP.C. via dorsal horn
- Center: spinal cord where the afferent synapses with excitatory interneurons
- Efferent: motor neuron that leaves SP.C. via ventral horn
- Effector: flexor muscle that can move that body part
• Aim: flexion & withdrawal of a body part from a noxious stimulus.
 Prosperities
1- Initiated by injurious stimuli
2- Its afferents are Aδ.
3- It is a polysynaptic reflex (conduction duration is more than 2 milli sec = at least 4 synapses)
4-Afferent neurons show divergence on multiple interneurons.
5- Prolonged after-discharge: due to reverberating circuit between the interneurons.
6- Reciprocal innervation: contraction of flexor muscles is associated with relaxation of extensor muscles to prevent
resistance from the antagonist muscles.
- This is due to inhibitory interneurons in SP.C. that synapse with & inhibit motor neurons of antagonist muscle .
7- Irradiation: stronger noxious stimulus  spread of excitatory impulses up and down the SP.C.  increased numbers of
active motor neurons  greater response
6) Crossed Extensor reflex.
 Definition
reflex contraction of extensors of the opposite limb when the other limb is exposed to a noxious stimulus.
 Components
- Stimulus: noxious stimuli to the other limb
- Receptor: cutaneous (& may be deep) receptors
- Afferent: sensory neuron enters SP.C. via dorsal horn
- Center: spinal cord where collaterals from the afferent synapses with excitatory interneuron that crosses to the opposite side
of SP.C. & excites motor neurons of extensors of opposite limb.
- Efferent: motor neuron that leaves SP.C. via ventral horn
- Effector: Extensor muscles of opposite limb
Aim: Support & prevent falling.
Flexion withdrawal & crossed- extension reflex:
•Painful stimulation to the lower limb produces flexion withdrawal of the stimulated limb & extension of the contralateral
limb. The afferent pathways are known as “Flexor Reflex Afferents.”
Q: Why extend the opposite limb? To Provide body Support