![Sample our Bioscience journals, sign in here to start your access, Latest two full volumes FREE to you for 14 days]({"type":"image" , "src" : "/sda/5925/TOC-Subject-Sample-2021-Bioscience.jpg"})
Abstract
The purpose of this study was to investigate control of the ankle joint muscles before and during gait initiation. Seven healthy humans, aged 20–30 years old, participated in this study. Motor-evoked potentials (MEPs) were recorded from the soleus and the tibialis anterior muscles, and H-reflexes were evoked from the soleus muscle in the stance leg of gait initiation. The soleus H-reflexes were depressed throughout all the periods before and during gait initiation. The soleus MEP amplitudes were decreased in some periods before gait initiation, but were increased in other periods before and during gait initiation. The MEP amplitudes in the tibialis anterior muscle were increased before the onset of the EMG activity, and this increase persisted through gait initiation. The findings indicate that the ankle joint flexor is under intensive cortico-spinal control before and during gait initiation. Both the cortical and spinal pathways are involved in preparing and controlling the activity of the ankle joint extensor for gait initiation.