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A New Spinal Flexor Reflex

Nature volume 202, pages 1344–1345 (1964)Cite this article

Abstract

IN the acute spinal animal L-3,4-dihydroxyphenyl-alanine (DOPA) gives a marked increase in the flexor reflex which can be evoked on pinching the skin1,2. An electrophysiological analysis revealed that DOPA depresses the transmission of single volleys from the flexor reflex afferents to motoneurones and to primary afferents3,4. DOPA is more effective in depressing the path from the flexor reflex afferents to primary afferents than to motoneurones. Hence there was the possibility that DOPA, by eliminating the negative feed-back of presynaptic inhibition (the primary afferent depolarization in the flexor reflex afferents), might give more effective transmission to motoneurones despite its inhibitory action on this path3. However, further experiments have shown that this explanation is not correct.

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References

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Author notes

  1. L. VYKLICKÝ

    Present address: Czechoslovak Academy of Sciences, Prague

  2. M. G. M. JUKES: Sir Henry Wellcome Travelling Fellow.

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Departments of Physiology and Pharmacology, University of Göteborg, Sweden

    N. E. ANDÉN, M. G. M. JUKES, A. LUNDBERG & L. VYKLICKÝ

Authors
  1. N. E. ANDÉN
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  2. M. G. M. JUKES
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  3. A. LUNDBERG
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  4. L. VYKLICKÝ
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ANDÉN, N., JUKES, M., LUNDBERG, A. et al. A New Spinal Flexor Reflex. Nature 202, 1344–1345 (1964). https://doi.org/10.1038/2021344b0

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