The soleus late response elicited by transcranial magnetic stimulation reflects agonist-antagonist postural adjustment in the lower limbs

Objectives: We studied the origin and underlying mechanism of the soleus late response (SLR) at a mean latency of 90ms following transcranial magnetic stimulation. Methods: The soleus primary response (SPR) and SLR were recorded from the soleus (SOL) muscle in 27 normal subjects under various conditions using a double-cone coil. We also tested 28 patients demonstrating neurological disorders with postural disturbance. Results: The amplitude of the SPR gradually increased and its latency gradually decreased against the voluntary contraction (0-80%) of the tibialis anterior (TA) muscle. In contrast, the SLR amplitude was the greatest at a 20% TA contraction while the SLR latency was the shortest at a 40% TA contraction. The preactivation of SOL enhanced the SPR response but did not evoke the SLR. The SPR amplitude was significantly augmented while standing, however, the SLR amplitude tended to decrease. The SLR was never obtained following the stimulation of the brainstem, lumbar roots and peroneal nerve. The SLR was abnormal in patients with cerebellar ataxia and Parkinson's disease while the SPR was normal. Conclusions: A lack of any correlation between the SPR and SLR suggests that the SLR does not originate in the corticospinal tract. The SLR may thus be a polysynaptic response related to the postural control of the agonist and antagonist organization between the TA and SOL.