Skip to main content
NCBI home page
The Journal of Physiology logoLink to The Journal of Physiology
. 1977 Dec;273(3):539–560. doi: 10.1113/jphysiol.1977.sp012109

Selective Activation of peripheral nerve fibre groups of different diameter by triangular shaped stimulus pulses.

N Accornero, G Bini, G L Lenzi, M Manfredi
PMCID: PMC1353747  PMID: 604448

Abstract

1. The differential block of cutaneous nerve fibres has been achieved with a simple method of electrical stimulation, employing a single pair of active electrodes. 2. The method allows the selective activation of 95% of small myelinated (delta) axons, without activation of the larger (beta) ones; and activation of unmyelinated (C) fibres, without A fibre activation. Asynchronous firing of myelinated axons was absent in the majority of the experiments. 3. The method employs triangularly shaped electrical pulses, with a steep rise front and a slow exponential decay. The outward flow of current at the cathode fires conducted impulses in both larger and smaller axons, and the inward flow inactivates differentially the conduction in the smaller ones. 4. The differential effect of anodal currents rests upon the greater internal conductance and greater conduction velocity of larger fibres. 5. The method has the advantage over the conventional polarization block of simpler surgical preparation, longer nerve survival and minimal latency distortion. However, it cannot be applied in experiments requiring physiological stimulation of peripheral receptors.

Full text

PDF
539

Selected References

These references are in PubMed. This may not be the complete list of references from this article.

  1. Alpsan D., Eccles M. J., Lal S., Wormald D. I. A device for selectively blocking nerve fibres, using a transient polarizing current. J Physiol. 1973 Jul;232(1):9P–10P. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  2. Brown A. G., Hamann W. C. DC-polarization and impulse conduction failure in mammalian nerve fibres. J Physiol. 1972 Apr;222(1):66P–67P. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  3. Cangiano A., Lutzemberger L. The action of selectively activated group II muscle afferent fibers on extensor motoneurons. Brain Res. 1972 Jun 22;41(2):475–478. doi: 10.1016/0006-8993(72)90519-7. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  4. Casey K. L., Blick M. Observations on anodal polarization of cutaneous nerve. Brain Res. 1969 Mar;13(1):155–167. doi: 10.1016/0006-8993(69)90150-4. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  5. DOUGLAS W. W., RITCHIE J. M. A technique for recording functional activity in specific groups of medullated and non-medullated fibres in whole nerve trunks. J Physiol. 1957 Aug 29;138(1):19–30. doi: 10.1113/jphysiol.1957.sp005835. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  6. Guz A., Trenchard D. W. The role of non-myelinated vagal afferent fibres from the lungs in the genesis of tachypnoea in the rabbit. J Physiol. 1971 Mar;213(2):345–371. doi: 10.1113/jphysiol.1971.sp009386. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  7. KUFFLER S. W., VAUGHAN WILLIAMS E. M. Small-nerve junctional potentials; the distribution of small motor nerves to frog skeletal muscle, and the membrane characteristics of the fibres they innervate. J Physiol. 1953 Aug;121(2):289–317. doi: 10.1113/jphysiol.1953.sp004948. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  8. Kato M., Fukushima K. Effect of differential blocking of motor axons on antidromic activation of Renshaw cells in the cat. Exp Brain Res. 1974;20(2):135–143. doi: 10.1007/BF00234008. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  9. MENDELL L. M., WALL P. D. PRESYNAPTIC HYPERPOLARIZATION: A ROLE FOR FINE AFFERENT FIBRES. J Physiol. 1964 Aug;172:274–294. doi: 10.1113/jphysiol.1964.sp007417. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  10. Manfredi M. Differential block of conduction of larger fibers in peripheral nerve by direct current. Arch Ital Biol. 1970 Jan;108(1):52–71. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  11. Manfredi M. Modulation of sensory projections in anterolateral column of cat spinal cord by peripheral afferents of different size. Arch Ital Biol. 1970 Jan;108(1):72–105. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  12. Pomeranz B., Wall P. D., Weber W. V. Cord cells responding to fine myelinated afferents from viscera, muscle and skin. J Physiol. 1968 Dec;199(3):511–532. doi: 10.1113/jphysiol.1968.sp008666. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  13. Sant'Ambrogio G., Camporesi E., Sellick H., Mortola J. Respiratory changes induced by the immediate block of nervous conduction in the vagus nerves. Q J Exp Physiol Cogn Med Sci. 1972 Apr;57(2):207–212. doi: 10.1113/expphysiol.1972.sp002150. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  14. Sant'Ambrogio G., Decandia M., Provini L. Diaphragmatic contribution to respiration in the rabbit. J Appl Physiol. 1966 May;21(3):843–847. doi: 10.1152/jappl.1966.21.3.843. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  15. Sassen M., Zimmermann M. Differential blocking of myelinated nerve fibres by transient depolarization. Pflugers Arch. 1973 Jul 6;341(3):179–195. doi: 10.1007/BF00592788. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  16. Spencer W. A., Thompson R. F., Neilson D. R., Jr Response decrement of the flexion reflex in the acute spinal cat and transient restoration by strong stimuli. J Neurophysiol. 1966 Mar;29(2):221–239. doi: 10.1152/jn.1966.29.2.221. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  17. Zimmermann M. Selective activation of C-fibers. Pflugers Arch Gesamte Physiol Menschen Tiere. 1968;301(4):329–333. doi: 10.1007/BF00362643. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]

Articles from The Journal of Physiology are provided here courtesy of The Physiological Society

RESOURCES