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Reference Arm (reference + arm)

Distribution by Scientific Domains

Life Sciences	75%

Selected Abstracts

Evidence from proprioception of fusimotor coactivation during voluntary contractions in humans

EXPERIMENTAL PHYSIOLOGY, Issue 3 2008
Trevor J. Allen
In experiments on position sense at the elbow joint in the horizontal plane, blindfolded subjects were required to match the position of one forearm (reference) by placement of their other arm (indicator). Position errors were measured after conditioning elbow muscles of the reference arm with an isometric contraction while the arm was held either flexed or extended. The difference in errors after the two forms of conditioning was large when the conditioned muscles remained relaxed during the matching process and it became less when elbow muscles were required to lift a load during the match (10 and 25% of maximal voluntary contraction, respectively). Errors from muscle conditioning were attributed to signals arising in muscle spindles and were hypothesized to result from the thixotropic property of passive intrafusal fibres. Active muscle does not exhibit thixotropy. It is proposed that during a voluntary contraction the errors after conditioning are less, because the spindles become coactivated through the fusimotor system. The distribution of errors is therefore seen to be a reflection of fusimotor recruitment thresholds. For elbow flexors most, but not all, fusimotor fibres appear to be recruited by 10% of a maximal contraction. [source]

Muscle spindle signals combine with the sense of effort to indicate limb position

THE JOURNAL OF PHYSIOLOGY, Issue 3 2005
J. A. Winter
Experiments were carried out to test the hypothesis that, in the absence of vision, position sense at the human forearm is generated by the combined input from muscle spindles in elbow flexor muscles and signals of central origin giving rise to a sense of effort. In a forearm position-matching task, to remove a possible contribution from the sense of effort, the reference arm was held supported at the test angle. Subjects were less accurate in matching elbow position of the supported forearm than when it was unsupported. Adding a 2 kg weight to the unsupported reference arm led subjects to make matching errors consistent with an increase in the effort signal. Evidence of a contribution from muscle spindles was provided by showing that the direction of position matching errors could be systematically altered by flexion or extension conditioning of the reference arm before its placement at the test angle. Such changes in errors with conditioning could be shown to be present when the reference arm was supported, unsupported, or unsupported and weighted. It is concluded that both peripheral signals from muscle spindles and signals of central origin, associated with the motor command required to maintain arm position against the force of gravity, can provide information about forearm position. [source]

Scanning beyond the limits of standard OCT: OCT scans of the peripheral retina and the anterior chamber angle with a slitlamp integtrated FD-OCT system

ACTA OPHTHALMOLOGICA, Issue 2009
M STEHOUWER
Purpose Exploring the quality of OCT images of the peripheral retina and anterior chamber angle made through a 3-mirror contactlens and a new FD-OCT device integrated into a slit lamp. Methods Patients with peripheral lesions (n=10) and glaucoma (n=10), seen in the outpatient clinic of the Academic Medical Center, were scanned with a Fourier Domain OCT integrated into a common Topcon slitlamp (SLD light source, central wavelength 830 nm, bandwidth 30 nm, 1024 pixel CCD camera, scan speed 5k A-scans per second, up to 1024 A-scans per b-scan). For posterior segment scans a fast Z-tracking system in the reference arm compensates for the dynamic character (movements of patient, handheld lens, slitlamp) of the examination. Scans of peripheral lesions, and the anterior chamber angle were made with a 3-mirror lens, while simultaneously the lesions were observed with the slitlamp. Results Scans of the peripheral retina obtained with a 3-mirror lens with the FD-OCT integrated into the slitlamp were of reasonably good quality and lesions, like peripheral laser scars, could be clearly identified. Compared to stand alone OCT systems, the integrated OCT system reached more peripheral lesions. The anterior chamber angle scanned through a 3-mirror lens enabled scans of the angle structures. Conclusion It is possible to scan the peripheral retina and anterior chamber angle through a 3-mirror contact lens with the slitlamp with integrated OCT. These scans could be of clinical interest in patients with pathology in the peripheral retina pathology or the anterior chamber angle. [source]