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Jun Kimura, MD

Arch Neurol. 1977;34(2):85-88.

Abstract
• The collision technique was used to determine the relationship between the electrical potential and the force produced by a voluntarily contracting first dorsal interosseus muscle. The method allows, in effect, synchronization of nerve impulses of asynchronously firing motoneurons subserving voluntary contraction. A compound muscle action potential, M (voluntary), thus recorded as an electrical corollary of muscle contraction, related linearly to the force of contraction under isometric conditions. Using M(voluntary), an approximate percentage of motoneuron pool discharging during a 10-msec period was calculated at various levels of voluntary effort. In ten healthy subjects, it increased linearly with muscle force from 2.4% ± 1.4% at 0.5 kg to 23.5% ± 9.6% at 4.5 kg.

Author Affiliations
From the Division of Clinical Electrophysiology, Department of Neurology and Neurosensory Center, College of Medicine, University of Iowa, Iowa City.

Footnotes
Accepted for publication June 23, 1976.

Reprint requests to Division of Clinical Electrophysiology, Department of Neurology, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA 52242 (Dr Kimura).