The effects of digital nerve stimulation on the firing of motor units in human first dorsal interosseous muscle.

1. The effect of cutaneous stimulation on the firing of single motor units has been studied during voluntary contractions in human first dorsal interosseous muscle. 2. Electrical stimulation of the index finger at 3 x threshold for perception reduced the firing rate of most units recruited at voluntary contraction strengths less than 1.5 N and increased the firing rate of all units recruited at contraction strengths greater than 1.5 N. The firing rate of all slow twitch units (contraction time greater than 75 msec) was reduced. The behaviour of fast twitch units was mixed but at this stimulus strength all units recruited at contraction strengths greater than 1.5 N had their firing rate increased. 3. Tested at different stimulus strengths, the stronger the stimulus the more the firing rate of low threshold units was reduced. The firing rate of units recruited at high contraction strength was increased by weak stimuli but reduced by strong stimuli. 4. It is concluded that stimulation of the index finger shifts the weighting of synaptic input associated with a voluntary contraction to favour the activity of the more powerful fast twitch motor units in first dorsal interosseous muscle.