Effect of procaine infiltration into biceps brachii muscle in man on supraspinal control of reflex transmission.

Sensitivity of the tonic stretch reflex (TSR) of biceps brachii in normal man was measured at different levels of voluntary contraction before and after gamma efferent nerve fibres were selectively blocked by infiltration of dilute procaine. The procaine infiltration reduced TSR sensitivity to one half of its control value. It had no effect, however, on the slope of the relation between TSR gain and level of voluntary contraction. It was concluded that the increase in TSR sensitivity associated with voluntary contraction was not mediated by the gamma efferent fibres and control of reflex transmission is therefore not the main function of the fusimotor system.