Normal electrical activity is not required for the formation of specific sensory-motor synapses.

These studies sought to determine the role of stretch-evoked electrical activity in muscle sensory axons on the formation of specific monosynaptic connections made by these neurons onto spinal motoneurons. Normal activity was disrupted by tenotomy during the developmental stages that the central connections are made. The pattern of connections was normal, suggesting that normal activity is not required in this system for the formation of specific sensory-motor connections.