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Journal of Neurology, Neurosurgery, and Psychiatry logoLink to Journal of Neurology, Neurosurgery, and Psychiatry
. 1981 May;44(5):407–413. doi: 10.1136/jnnp.44.5.407

The effects of temperature on human compound action potentials.

C F Bolton, G M Sawa, K Carter
PMCID: PMC490984  PMID: 7264687

Abstract

The upper limbs of 10 healthy subjects were cooled and then warmed over physiological temperature ranges. The compound action potentials of median digital nerves, median sensory nerve at the wrist, radial sensory nerve at the wrist, and median thenar muscle, all showed progressive reduction in latency, amplitude, duration and area during rising temperature. Our studies suggest that the sensory compound action potential changes occur predominantly because of the summated effects of reduction in the duration of the action potentials of single myelinated fibres, although disproportionate increase in the conduction velocity of larger myelinated fibres also plays a role.

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Selected References

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