Influence of common synaptic input to motor neurons on the neural drive to muscle in essential tremor

• DOI: 10.1152/jn.00531.2014
• Publication Date: 2014-10-02T08:31:26Z
• Authors: Juan A. Gallego; Jakob L. Dideriksen; Ales Holobar; Jaime Ibáñez; José L. Pons; Elan D. Louis; Eduardo Rocon; Dario Farina
• Keywords: Motor unit

Tremor in essential tremor (ET) is generated by pathological oscillations at 4–12 Hz, likely originating cerebello-thalamo-cortical pathways. However, the way which represented output of spinal cord circuitries largely unknown because difficulties identifying behavior individual motor units from tremulous muscles. By using novel methods for decomposition multichannel surface EMG, we provide a systematic analysis discharge properties nine ET patients, with concurrent recordings EEG activity. This allowed us to infer contribution common synaptic inputs neurons ET. Motor unit short-term synchronization was significantly greater patients than healthy subjects. Furthermore, strong association between degree and peak coherence spike trains frequency indicated that high levels were mainly specifically frequency. The demonstrated presence cortical input Nonetheless, strength this uncorrelated net frequency, suggesting afferents or secondary supraspinal pathways projecting These results first neural drive muscle elucidate some its characteristics determine