Evidence map›Paper›PMID 34716899›Full record

ArticleGeroScience2021

Intrinsic motoneuron excitability is reduced in soleus and tibialis anterior of older adults.

Lucas B R Orssatto, David N Borg, Anthony J Blazevich, Raphael L Sakugawa, Anthony J Shield, Gabriel S Trajano

Open access · bronzeAbstract read
In one paragraph

Article in GeroScience, 2021. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 28 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
28citing papers in PubMed, 1 pooled it
3.1field-weighted citation impact, top 8% of its field
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

28 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it, 53 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. Pooled it
  2. Article
  3. Article
  4. Article
  5. Article
  6. Article
  7. Article
  8. Article
  9. Article
  10. Article
  11. Article
  12. Sex and Age-Related Changes in Lean Mass of C57BL/6 Mice: A New Method for Assessing Body Composition.Annual International Conference of the IEEE Engineering in Medicine and Biology Society. IEEE Engineering in Medicine and Biology Society. Annual International Conference · 2025
    Article
  13. Review
  14. Article
  15. 5-HTGeroScience · 2025
    Article
  16. Article
  17. Article
  18. Article
  19. Article
  20. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

6 authors at 4 institutions in 2 countries.

Lucas B R OrssattoSchool of Exercise and Nutrition Sciences, Faculty of Health, Queensland University of Technology (QUT), Brisbane, Australia. l.betdarosaorssatto@qut.edu.au.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0003-3788-3700
David N BorgMenzies Health Institute Queensland, The Hopkins Centre, Griffith University, Brisbane, Australia.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-0152-571X
Anthony J BlazevichCentre for Human Performance, Edith Cowan University, Joondalup, Australia.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0003-1664-1614
Raphael L SakugawaBiomechanics Laboratory, Department of Physical Education, Federal University of Santa Catarina, Florianopolis, Brazil.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-4162-232X
Anthony J ShieldSchool of Exercise and Nutrition Sciences, Faculty of Health, Queensland University of Technology (QUT), Brisbane, Australia.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-0393-2466
Gabriel S TrajanoSchool of Exercise and Nutrition Sciences, Faculty of Health, Queensland University of Technology (QUT), Brisbane, Australia.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0003-4667-4257
Queensland University of Technology · AUEdith Cowan University · AUGriffith University · AUUniversidade Federal de Santa Catarina · BR

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Age-related deterioration within both motoneuron and monoaminergic systems should theoretically reduce neuromodulation by weakening motoneuronal persistent inward current (PIC) amplitude. However, this assumption remains untested. Surface electromyographic signals were collected using two 32-channel electrode matrices placed on soleus and tibialis anterior of 25 older adults (70 ± 4 years) and 17 young adults (29 ± 5 years) to investigate motor unit discharge behaviors. Participants performed triangular-shaped plantar and dorsiflexion contractions to 20% of maximum torque at a rise-decline rate of 2%/s of each participant's maximal torque. Pairwise and composite paired-motor unit analyses were adopted to calculate delta frequency (ΔF), which has been used to differentiate between the effects of synaptic excitation and intrinsic motoneuronal properties and is assumed to be proportional to PIC amplitude. Soleus and tibialis anterior motor units in older adults had lower ΔFs calculated with either the pairwise [-0.99 and -1.46 pps; -35.4 and -33.5%, respectively] or composite (-1.18 and -2.28 pps; -32.1 and -45.2%, respectively) methods. Their motor units also had lower peak discharge rates (-2.14 and -2.03 pps; -19.7 and -13.9%, respectively) and recruitment thresholds (-1.50 and -2.06% of maximum, respectively) than young adults. These results demonstrate reduced intrinsic motoneuron excitability during low-force contractions in older adults, likely mediated by decreases in the amplitude of persistent inward currents. Our findings might be explained by deterioration in the motoneuron or monoaminergic systems and could contribute to the decline in motor function during aging; these assumptions should be explicitly tested in future investigations.

Indexed as

Isometric ContractionMotor NeuronsAgedAgingElectromyographyHumansMuscle, SkeletalAgeingHD-EMGMotor neuroneMotor unitPersistent inward currentSarcopenia

Identifiers

PMID34716899
PMCPMC8556797
OpenAlexW3210535168

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.