Irreversible Elimination of Muscle Receptors

Abstract

NERVOUS activity is closely related to, and dependent on, the afferent inflow from peripheral receptors. In order to study the effect of decreased afferent inflow on spinal synaptic functions many experimental models have been suggested and investigated, but all these are open to criticism. De-afferentation by section of the dorsal roots proximally to the ganglion leads to degeneration of the central stump and corresponding synaptic endings in the spinal cord, thus causing changes which are not directly associated with the elimination of afferent discharges from the periphery^1,2. Section of the dorsal roots distally to the spinal ganglion³ has a similar disadvantage since it causes changes of the retrograde degeneration type in the spinal ganglion cells. Besides this, both these methods lead to the elimination of all modalities of sensitivity, so that they are not suitable for investigations requiring the selective elimination of muscle afferent inflow. Bremer¹ attempted to eliminate muscle receptor discharges by novocain infiltration of the muscle ; but this is not a reliable method, and besides it is not possible to maintain this for any period of time. Neither are experimental procedures, such as tenotomy⁴, as yet sufficiently analysed to vouchsafe a solution in this direction.