Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Nociceptive muscle reflex responses in human forearms

  • General Pathology and Pathological Physiology
  • Published:
Bulletin of Experimental Biology and Medicine Aims and scope

Abstract

In healthy volunteers, 5-min noxious stimulation with rectangular electrical pulses applied transcutaneously to the phalanges enhanced tonic activity in the palmar and finger flexor muscles resulting in a specific electromyographic pattern consisting of two successive bursts of activity which appeared after a period of inhibition. In patients with chronic pain in the arm, significantly lower thresholds for the first and the second waves of reflex activity have been found. This electromyographic pattern of the forearm muscle reflex responses is supposed to be similar to the nociceptive flexor reflex in the leg. It can be useful for objective assessment of the effectiveness of analgesia and pain syndrome therapy in patients with cervical spinal cord injury.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. G. N. Kryzhanovskii, V. K. Reshetnyak, and M. L. Kukushkin,Byull. Eksp. Biol. Med.,115, No. 5, 461–463 (1993).

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  2. G. N. Kryzhanovskii, V. K. Reshetnyak, and M. L. Kukushkin,Byull. Eksp. Biol. Med.,119, No. 6, 470–474 (1995).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  3. O. K. Andersen, S. Felsby, L. Nicolaisenet al., Pain,66, 51–62 (1996).

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  4. O. K. Andersen, T. S. Jensen, J. Brennum, and L. Arend-Nielsen,,59, 273–280 (1994).

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  5. L. Arend-Nielsen, J. Brennum, S. Sindrup, and P. Bak,Eur. J. Appl. Physiol.,68, 266–273 (1994).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  6. D. Bouhassira, D. Le Bars, F. L. D. Bolgert, and J. C. Willer,Ann. Neurol.,34, 536–543 (1993).

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  7. T. J. Coderre, J. Katz, A. L. Vaccarino, and R. Melzak,Pain,52, No. 3, 259–285 (1993).

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  8. M. Devor, A. J. Basbaum, G. J. Bennet,et al., in:Towards a New Pharmacotherapy of Pain, A. J. Basbaum et al. (Eds.), Dahlem (1991), pp. 417–440.

  9. M. Hugon, in:New Developments in Electromyography and Clinical Neurophysiology, J. E. Desmendt (Eds.), Vol. 3, Basel (1973), pp. 713–729.

  10. J. C. Willer,Pain,3, 69–80 (1977).

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Anesthesiology and Functional Rehabilation, Head Institute of Prosthetics and Prosthetic Industry, Ministry of Social Protection of Russia, Moscow

    A. V. Gnezdilov, A. V. Syrovegin, M. L. Kukushkin, S. E. Plaksin, A. M. Ovechkin & A. M. Ivanov

  2. Laboratory of Pain Pathophysiology, Institute of General Pathology and Pathophysiology, Russian Academy of Medical Sciences, Moscow

    A. V. Gnezdilov, A. V. Syrovegin, M. L. Kukushkin, S. E. Plaksin, A. M. Ovechkin & A. M. Ivanov

Authors
  1. A. V. Gnezdilov
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. A. V. Syrovegin
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. M. L. Kukushkin
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. S. E. Plaksin
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  5. A. M. Ovechkin
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  6. A. M. Ivanov
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Additional information

Translated fromByulleten' Eksperimental'noi Biologii I Meditsiny, Vol. 126, No. 9, pp. 278–282, September, 1998

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Gnezdilov, A.V., Syrovegin, A.V., Kukushkin, M.L. et al. Nociceptive muscle reflex responses in human forearms. Bull Exp Biol Med 126, 889–892 (1998). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02447366

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02447366

Key words

Search

Navigation