The effects of local vibration inducing a tonic vibration reflex or movement illusion on acute modulations of corticospinal excitability

Stimulation of muscle afferents by local vibration (LV) can lead to two distinct perceptual and motor responses: the tonic vibration reflex (TVR) or the movement illusion. This study aimed to evaluate the effect of TVR and movement illusion on corticospinal excitability. In two experiments, EMG activity of the vibrated flexor carpi radialis (FCR) muscle (80 Hz, 6 min) and the extensor carpi radialis (ECR) muscle were recorded. Illusion was assessed using questionnaires. LV conditions were adjusted to favour either TVR (visual attention focused on the vibrating wrist) or ILLUSION (hidden hand, visual attention focused on the EMG of the FCR muscle). Motor-evoked potential (MEP) and cervicomedullary motor-evoked potential (CMEP) were recorded at rest for both muscles before (10 and 0 min) and after (0 and 30 min) each LV condition. Only the TVR condition increased EMG of the FCR muscle (+490% compared to resting, P = 0.005), while movement illusion was greater in the ILLUSION condition (P < 0.001). Concerning the vibrated muscle at P0, TVR reduced the amplitude of CMEP (−13.8 ± 15.8%, P = 0.011) without altering MEP (0.3 ± 27.9%, P = 1), whereas the opposite occurred with movement illusion (i.e. CMEP: −4.5 ± 13.7%, P = 0.891; MEP: −25.1 ± 17.2%, P = 0.002). Cortical excitability (MEP/CMEP ratio) of the vibrated muscle was reduced by 24 ± 13.3% on average compared to values obtained before LV, only in the ILLUSION condition. In conclusion, this study highlights the relevance of measuring and reporting the perceptual and motor responses induced during LV, demonstrating that TVR and movement illusion partly determine the acute effects on the neural network.

Key points

• Tonic vibration reflex and movement illusion are rarely controlled and measured in studies investigating the effect of LV on corticospinal excitability.
• The application of LV with visual attention focused on the vibrated muscle promotes the presence of a tonic vibration reflex (TVR). The absence of visual feedback on the latter promotes the presence of an illusion of movement.
• The cortical excitability of the vibrated muscle is influenced differently according to the perceptual and motor responses induced during LV, with an opposite effect on the cortical excitability of the antagonist muscle.
• Improved control of LV application conditions, quantification of perceptual and motor responses, and reporting of results (e.g. EMG activity of the vibrated muscle or illusion of movement during the protocol) are required to enhance our understanding of the physiological mechanisms associated with LV use and, consequently, the effectiveness of LV as a therapeutic modality.