Fig. 3

Serial electrophysiologic assessment of pathologic spontaneous activity in hind limb muscles after MCAo/reperfusion. a Representative sections from electromyographic recordings of the gastrocnemius muscle in mice with MCAo/reperfusion and sham operation on days 10, 22 and 44. Some isolated spontaneous potentials are marked by arrow heads in the traces recordings. b MCAo/reperfusion and sham-operated mice showed only rare fasciculation and fibrillation potentials and positive sharp waves at day 22 and more so at day 44 in the gastrocnemius muscle as well as the (c) quadriceps muscle. There was no significant difference between MCAo/reperfusion and sham operated mice in terms of PSA events. d Representative traces from electromyographic recordings of the gastrocnemius muscle in sham-operated mice with an additional crush injury to the sciatic nerve (sham + , positive control) on days 10, 22 and 44. At day 10, PSA was abundant and could only be quantified by lumping together superimposed fibrillation or fasciculation potentials and PSW as “events” of PSA. Note that PSW and fibrillation potentials become only discernable during partial recovery at day 22 (single spontaneous potentials marked by arrow heads). e Quantification of PSA after sciatic crush injury in sham + mice: PSA was abundant at day 10, much less so at day 22 and control values were reached at day 44. Statistical analysis: (b, c) Kruskal–Wallis test with Dunn’s method