ArticleJournal of neurophysiology2016
Synchronization of motor unit firings: an epiphenomenon of firing rate characteristics not common inputs.
Article in Journal of neurophysiology, 2016. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 19 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.
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Who cites it
19 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it.
- Physiological factors affecting the mechanical performance of peripheral muscles: A perspective for long COVID patients through a systematic literature review.Frontiers in physiology · 2022Pooled it
- Low-load blood flow restriction elicits greater concentric strength than non-blood flow restriction resistance training but similar isometric strength and muscle size.European journal of applied physiology · 2020Trial
- The Spectral Footprint of Neural Activity: How MUAP Properties and Spike Train Variability Shape sEMG.Bioengineering (Basel, Switzerland) · 2025Article
- A multi-label deep residual shrinkage network for high-density surface electromyography decomposition in real-time.Journal of neuroengineering and rehabilitation · 2025Article
- Analysis of Wavelet Coherence in Calf Agonist-Antagonist Muscles during Dynamic Fatigue.Life (Basel, Switzerland) · 2024Article
- Neuromuscular control: from a biomechanist's perspective.Frontiers in sports and active living · 2023Review
- Neuromuscular Responses to Failure vs Non-Failure During Blood Flow Restriction Training in Untrained Females.International journal of exercise science · 2023Article
- The Spatial Reach of Neuronal Coherence and Spike-Field Coupling across the Human Neocortex.The Journal of neuroscience : the official journal of the Society for Neuroscience · 2022Article
- Neurophysiological Factors Affecting Muscle Innervation Zone Estimation Using Surface EMG: A Simulation Study.Biosensors · 2021Article
- Effect of synchronization of firings of different motor unit types on the force variability in a model of the rat medial gastrocnemius muscle.PLoS computational biology · 2021Article
- Beta-band motor unit coherence and nonlinear surface EMG features of the first dorsal interosseous muscle vary with force.Journal of neurophysiology · 2019Article
- Article
- Parameters of Surface Electromyogram Suggest That Dry Immersion Relieves Motor Symptoms in Patients With Parkinsonism.Frontiers in neuroscience · 2018Article
- Correlation between discharge timings of pairs of motor units reveals the presence but not the proportion of common synaptic input to motor neurons.Journal of neurophysiology · 2017Article
- Estimating Neural Control from Concentric vs. Eccentric Surface Electromyographic Representations during Fatiguing, Cyclic Submaximal Back Extension Exercises.Frontiers in physiology · 2017Article
- Muscle- and Mode-Specific Responses of the Forearm Flexors to Fatiguing, Concentric Muscle Actions.Sports (Basel, Switzerland) · 2016Article
- Muscle fatigue increases beta-band coherence between the firing times of simultaneously active motor units in the first dorsal interosseous muscle.Journal of neurophysiology · 2016Article
- The common input notion, conceived and sustained by conjecture.Journal of neurophysiology · 2016Article
- Using Computational Neuroscience to Define Common Input to Spinal Motor Neurons.Frontiers in human neuroscience · 2016Article
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Abstract
Synchronous motor unit firing instances have been attributed to anatomical inputs shared by motoneurons. Yet, there is a lack of empirical evidence confirming the notion that common inputs elicit synchronization under voluntary conditions. We tested this notion by measuring synchronization between motor unit action potential trains (MUAPTs) as their firing rates progressed within a contraction from a relatively low force level to a higher one. On average, the degree of synchronization decreased as the force increased. The common input notion provides no empirically supported explanation for the observed synchronization behavior. Therefore, we investigated a more probable explanation for synchronization. Our data set of 17,546 paired MUAPTs revealed that the degree of synchronization varies as a function of two characteristics of the motor unit firing rate: the similarity and the slope as a function of force. Both are measures of the excitation of the motoneurons. As the force generated by the muscle increases, the firing rate slope decreases, and the synchronization correspondingly decreases. Different muscles have motor units with different firing rate characteristics and display different amounts of synchronization. Although this association is not proof of causality, it consistently explains our observations and strongly suggests further investigation. So viewed, synchronization is likely an epiphenomenon, subject to countless unknown neural interactions. As such, synchronous firing instances may not be the product of a specific design and may not serve a specific physiological purpose. Our explanation for synchronization has the advantage of being supported by empirical evidence, whereas the common input does not.
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