Passive forearm stretching evokes robust and load-dependent muscle sympathetic nerve activity responses in humans
This study provides the first direct evidence in humans, using microneurography, that passive forearm stretching elicits robust increases in sympathetic burst frequency and incidence. The positive association between torque and the magnitude of the sympathetic response highlights the load-dependent nature of muscle mechanoreceptor activation in shaping autonomic outflow. Together, these findings establish passive forearm stretching as a practical and physiologically robust model for investigating mechanoreflex function and human sympathetic regulation.
Authors
- Lauro C. Vianna (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5747-0295)
- B. C. S. Silva
- Giovanna M. R. Cunha
- Gabriel S. Trajano (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4667-4257)
- Georgia C. S. Lehnen
- Rosa V. D. Guerrero
- M. Araujo
- Jhenny V. Neri
Institutions
- Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (BR)
- Universidade de Brasília (BR)
- Queensland University of Technology (AU)
- Universidade Federal de São Paulo (BR)
Publication Details
- Journal
- American Journal of Physiology-Regulatory, Integrative and Comparative Physiology
- Published
- 2026-04-07
- DOI
- https://doi.org/10.1152/ajpregu.00021.2026
- Primary Topic
- Heart Rate Variability and Autonomic Control
- Type
- article
- Field-Weighted Citation Impact
- 0.00
Funders
- Queensland University of Technology
- Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior
- Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico
- Fundação de Apoio à Pesquisa do Distrito Federal