bioRxiv · 10.1101/2023.06.12.544675
On the origin of F-wave: involvement of central synaptic mechanisms
Abstract
Neurophysiological methods are used widely to gain information about motoneuron excitability and axon conduction in neurodegenerative diseases. The F-wave is a common biomarker used to test motoneuron properties in the diagnosis of neurological diseases. Although the origin of the F-wave is a subject of debate, the most widely accepted mechanism posits that the F-wave is generated by the backfiring of motoneurons stimulated antidromically from the periphery. In this study, we developed an ex vivo mouse sciatic nerve-attached spinal cord preparation with sensory axons severed in which stimulation of the whole sciatic nerve or its tibial branch evoked responses with the electrophysiological signatures of F-waves. Manipulations of synaptic transmission by either removal of extracellular calcium or block of post-synaptic glutamate receptors abolished these responses. These results suggest that F-waves are mediated by spinal microcircuits activated by recurrent motor axon collaterals via glutamatergic synapses.
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Ozyurt, M. G., Nascimento, F., Brownstone, R. M., Beato, M.. 2023-06-13. On the origin of F-wave: involvement of central synaptic mechanisms. https://doi.org/10.1101/2023.06.12.544675
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