Decreased excitability of motor axons contributes substantially to contraction fatigability during neuromuscular electrical stimulation.

These data files accompany a paper submitted for publication to Applied Physiology, Nutrition, and Metabolism. Neuromuscular electrical stimulation, or NMES, is a technique used for rehabilitation, maintenance of physical activity, and functional neuroprosthetic applications (e.g. to compensate for foot drop). The contraction of the muscles intermittently activated by NMES may start <i>strong</i> and functional but rapidly weaken; a process we refer to as contraction fatigability. Historically we along with our peers have considered that the muscle itself and the recruitment of motor units in the muscle during NMES are the primary mechanisms underlying the rate that contraction fatigability develops. We demonstrate in this paper that the excitability of the motor axons innervating the muscle are equally, if not more, important than the muscle properties during these types of contractions.

本数据集配套的研究论文已投稿至《应用生理学、营养学与代谢学》（Applied Physiology, Nutrition, and Metabolism）期刊以待发表。神经肌肉电刺激（Neuromuscular Electrical Stimulation，简称NMES）是一类常用于康复训练、维持身体活动水平以及功能性神经假体应用的技术，例如用于矫正足下垂。经NMES间歇性激活的肌肉收缩起初可能强劲且具备生理功能，但会快速出现衰减，这一过程我们称之为收缩疲劳性（contraction fatigability）。过往我们与同行学界均认为，在NMES作用过程中，肌肉本身的特性以及肌肉内运动单位的募集，是决定收缩疲劳性发展速率的核心机制。本研究证实，在这类肌肉收缩过程中，支配该肌肉的运动轴突的兴奋性，即便不比肌肉本身特性更为关键，也至少与之同等重要。