Location-specific modulations of plantar cutaneous reflexes in human (peroneus longus muscle) are dependent on co-activation of ankle muscles

Cutaneous reflexes induced in lower leg muscles by non-noxious electrical stimulation to the foot sole are strongly modified depending on the stimulated location. Little is known, however, about the functional importance of this location-specificity. We examined modulation of cutaneous reflexes in the peroneus longus muscle during co-activation of the peroneus longus (PL), soleus, and tibialis anterior muscles in ten healthy volunteers. We successfully recorded 121 intramuscular single motor units (MU) of cutaneous reflexes in PL elicited by stimulating either fore-medial, fore-lateral, or heel regions of the plantar foot while performing plantarflexion and eversion (PF + EV), dorsiflexion and eversion (DF + EV), or isolated eversion (EV). Firing probability increased following fore-lateral stimulation during the PF + EV and EV tasks, but not during the DF + EV. Fore-medial stimulation, irrespective of the task, suppressed the reflex. Heel stimulation facilitated the reflex only during the PF + EV and DF + EV tasks. In general, cutaneous reflex magnitudes were larger during the PF + EV task than during the others, irrespective of whether the effects were facilitatory or suppressive. These results suggest that the magnitude of the reflex effects on the PL motoneurons strongly depends on activation of plantarflexors and dorsiflexors.