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Fractionation of the Motor Unit during Repetitive Response to Prostigmine

Nature volume 190, pages 452–453 (1961)Cite this article

Abstract

RECENT work has demonstrated fractionation of the action potential of the single motor unit of the rat gastrocnemius into anatomically unidentified sub-units1. The temporal sequence of firing of these sub-units can be altered by intravenous administration of curare or decamethonium. These drugs, by reducing the end-plate potential, increase the latency of appearance of the propagated spike of some, but not all, of the sub-units which comprise the action potential of the single motor unit. When the time of rise for the end-plate potential of the sub-unit is sufficiently prolonged, the propagated spike of the sub-unit disappears2, and the total unit potential is reduced. In order to evaluate the effect of prostigmine on the single motor unit, the work reported here was undertaken.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Neurological Unit, Boston City Hospital,

    SIMEON LOCKE

  2. Department of Neurology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Mass.

    SIMEON LOCKE

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  1. SIMEON LOCKE
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LOCKE, S. Fractionation of the Motor Unit during Repetitive Response to Prostigmine. Nature 190, 452–453 (1961). https://doi.org/10.1038/190452b0

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