Transient increase in recurrent inhibition in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis as a putative protection from neurodegeneration

© 2022 Scandinavian Physiological Society. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd..

AIM: Adaptive mechanisms in spinal circuits are likely involved in homeostatic responses to maintain motor output in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. Given the role of Renshaw cells in regulating the motoneuron input/output gain, we investigated the modulation of heteronymous recurrent inhibition.

METHODS: Electrical stimulations were used to activate recurrent collaterals resulting in the Hoffmann reflex depression. Inhibitions from soleus motor axons to quadriceps motoneurons, and vice versa, were tested in 38 patients and matched group of 42 controls.

RESULTS: Compared with controls, the mean depression of quadriceps reflex was larger in patients, while that of soleus was smaller, suggesting that heteronymous recurrent inhibition was enhanced in quadriceps but reduced in soleus. The modulation of recurrent inhibition was linked to the size of maximal direct motor response and lower limb dysfunctions, suggesting a significant relationship with the integrity of the target motoneuron pool and functional abilities. No significant link was found between the integrity of motor axons activating Renshaw cells and the level of inhibition. Enhanced inhibition was particularly observed in patients within the first year after symptom onset and with slow progression of lower limb dysfunctions. Normal or reduced inhibitions were mainly observed in patients with motor weakness first in lower limbs and greater dysfunctions in lower limbs.

CONCLUSION: We provide the first evidence for enhanced recurrent inhibition and speculate that Renshaw cells might have transient protective role on motoneuron by counteracting hyperexcitability at early stages. Several mechanisms likely participate including cortical influence on Renshaw cell and reinnervation by slow motoneurons.

Errataetall:

CommentIn: Acta Physiol (Oxf). 2022 Apr;234(4):e13801. - PMID 35170853

Medienart:

E-Artikel

Erscheinungsjahr:

2022

Erschienen:

2022

Enthalten in:

Zur Gesamtaufnahme - volume:234

Enthalten in:

Acta physiologica (Oxford, England) - 234(2022), 4 vom: 21. Apr., Seite e13758

Sprache:

Englisch

Beteiligte Personen:

Sangari, Sina [VerfasserIn]
Peyre, Iseline [VerfasserIn]
Lackmy-Vallée, Alexandra [VerfasserIn]
Bayen, Eléonore [VerfasserIn]
Pradat, Pierre-François [VerfasserIn]
Marchand-Pauvert, Véronique [VerfasserIn]

Links:

Volltext

Themen:

H-reflex
Interneurons
Journal Article
Motoneurons
Renshaw cells
Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
Spinal cord
Spinal excitability

Anmerkungen:

Date Completed 29.04.2022

Date Revised 29.04.2022

published: Print-Electronic

ClinicalTrials.gov: NCT02429492

CommentIn: Acta Physiol (Oxf). 2022 Apr;234(4):e13801. - PMID 35170853

Citation Status MEDLINE

doi:

10.1111/apha.13758

funding:

Förderinstitution / Projekttitel:

PPN (Katalog-ID):

NLM335173403