Excitability of spinal motor neuron function after the transcutaneous electrical stimulation (TES) in healthy subjects - F-wave study-

Abstract

To clarify the excitability of spinal motor neuron function after transcutaneous electrical stimulation (TES), we investigated the F-wave before and after TES. Fourteen healthy volunteers with a mean age of 23.4 years were studied. TES was applied to the flexor hallucis brevis (FHB) for 15 minutes. F-wave and M-wave were recorded from the FHB after tibial nerve stimulation at the ankle before TES, just after TES, 10, 20 and 30 minutes after TES. TES evoked full flexion of the great toe. F-wave was analyzed for the amplitude ratio of F/M, latency and duration. The amplitude ratio of F/M was 3.1% before TES, 1.4% just after TES, 1.6% 10 minutes after, 1.9% 20 minutes after and 1.7% 30 minutes after TES. Each amplitude ratio of F/M after TES was significantly lower than that before TES (p<0.05). There was no statistically significant difference in the latency and the duration. These results suggest that the excitability of spinal motor neuron function after TES to muscles under this condition was reduced in healthy subjects.