The Golgi tendon organ reflex is also known as the inverse what?

The Golgi tendon organ reflex is also known as the inverse myotatic reflex.

Golgi tendon organs are sensory receptors embedded in tendons near their connection with muscle fibers. They detect muscle tension, especially tension produced during contraction. Their sensory signals travel through Ib afferent fibers into the spinal cord, where inhibitory interneurons reduce activity in the motor neurons supplying the same muscle.

It is called “inverse” because it contrasts with the myotatic, or stretch, reflex. A stretch reflex increases contraction when a muscle is lengthened; the Golgi tendon reflex generally decreases activation when tension becomes high. This helps regulate force and protect the muscle-tendon unit, although the old idea that it functions simply as an emergency overload switch is an oversimplification.

The reflex is also called the inverse stretch reflex or autogenic inhibition. “Stretch reflex” alone is not correct here: that term normally refers to the opposing response involving muscle spindles.