Simple muscle

curve(twitch)

Introduction
A single brief electrical shock of adequate
strength applied to the nerve of a skeletal
muscle gives rise to a brief contraction of
the muscle followed by relaxation, this
response is called as simple muscle twitch
and the contraction recorded on a moving
kymograph is called as a simple muscle
curve

Requirements
Nerve muscle preparation

Sherringtons drum
Lucas muscle trough
Du-Bois Raymond induction coil

connections
Pulley combination:1:4 fast gear
Drum in circuit

Procedure
Mount the nerve muscle preparation in the afterloaded
condition

 Adjust the strength of stimulus(maximum break

without make)

Adjust writing lever tangentially touching it lightly

With primary key closed and short circuiting key
open, set the drum into motion and obtain baseline
by setting drum into speed

 Stimulate the nerve with single stimulus and record the

muscle contraction

Stop the drum and without changing anything

record the point of stimulus after making contact of
strikers with the contact foil. Similarly ,mark the
point of beginning of contraction, point of
maximum contraction and point of relaxation

With the help of tuning fork take the Time tracing.

Measure latent period ,contraction period and

relaxation period.

SMC
A- Point of stimulus
B- Beginning of contraction
C- Peak of contraction
D- End of relaxation

Discussion
Latent period (LP): interval between point of stimulus
and point of beginning of contraction
Causes :
True latent period of the nerve
Conduction time along the nerve
Delay at myoneural junction
Latent period for excitation-contraction coupling
Instrumental inertia

Contraction period(CP): interval between point of

beginning of contraction to point of maximum
contraction

Relaxation period(RP): interval between point of

maximum contraction to point of relaxation.

 Shatter curve(physiological curve) :

Cause-inertia of instrument and elasticity of
muscle
total duration of simple muscle curve
LP + CP + RP
0.01+0.04+0.05
0.1sec.

DETERMINATION OF
CONDUCTION VELOCITY of
NERVE impulse

Principle :
The Velocity of Nerve Conduction is
determined by dividing the distance
between the two points of stimulation
with the difference in the latent period
of both the recordings.

Requirements
Nerve muscle preparation
Sherringtons drum
Lucas muscle trough

Du-Bois Raymond induction coil

Procedure
Mount the nerve muscle preparation in the
afterloaded condition

Adjust the strength of stimulus(maximum break

without make)
Record the simple muscle curve by stimulating the
nerve at vertebral end (V curve)and mark the point
of stimulus and point of contraction

 Without changing point of stimulus, strength

of stimulus and baseline record another simple
muscle curve by stimulating muscular end(M
curve) & mark the point of contraction.

 Take time tracing with the help of tuning fork.

Measure the distance between the points of
stimulation(vertebral and muscular end) on the
nerve in meters

 Note the difference between the latent periods

in seconds of the two SMCs.
Calculate Conduction velocity in met/sec
= Distance travelled in meters
Difference in latent periods in seconds

Observation :

Precautions
Point of stimulus should be same.
Distance between the points should
be accurately measured .
Difference in the latent periods
should be accurately measured .

Discussion

Conduction Velocity of nerve depends on

Diameter of nerve
Myelination
Temperature
Conducting media in which nerve is
placed