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.
Full text
PDFImages in this article
Selected References
These references are in PubMed. This may not be the complete list of references from this article.
- Abramson D. I., Chu L. S., Rickert B. L., Talso J. F., Lee S. W. Latency changes in distal median nerve produced by alterations in ambient temperatures. J Appl Physiol. 1969 Dec;27(6):795–803. doi: 10.1152/jappl.1969.27.6.795. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Bolton C. F. Electrophysiologic changes in uremic neuropathy after successful renal transplantation. Neurology. 1976 Feb;26(2):152–161. doi: 10.1212/wnl.26.2.152. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Bolton C. F., Gilbert J. J., Girvin J. P., Hahn A. Nerve and muscle biopsy: electrophysiology and morphology in polyneuropathy. Neurology. 1979 Mar;29(3):354–362. doi: 10.1212/wnl.29.3.354. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Bostock H., Sherratt R. M., Sears T. A. Overcoming conduction failure in demyelinated nerve fibres by prolonging action potentials. Nature. 1978 Jul 27;274(5669):385–387. doi: 10.1038/274385a0. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Buchthal F., Behse F. Peroneal muscular atrophy (PMA) and related disorders. I. Clinical manifestations as related to biopsy findings, nerve conduction and electromyography. Brain. 1977 Mar;100(Pt 1):41–66. doi: 10.1093/brain/100.1.41. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- De Jesus P. V., Hausmanowa-Petrusewicz I., Barchi R. L. The effect of cold on nerve conduction of human slow and fast nerve fibers. Neurology. 1973 Nov;23(11):1182–1189. doi: 10.1212/wnl.23.11.1182. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- HODGKIN A. L., KATZ B. The effect of temperature on the electrical activity of the giant axon of the squid. J Physiol. 1949 Aug;109(1-2):240–249. doi: 10.1113/jphysiol.1949.sp004388. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- HUXLEY A. F. Ion movements during nerve activity. Ann N Y Acad Sci. 1959 Aug 28;81:221–246. doi: 10.1111/j.1749-6632.1959.tb49311.x. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Hlavova A., Abramson D. I., Rickert B. L., Talso J. F. Temperature effects on duration and amplitude of distal median nerve action potential. J Appl Physiol. 1970 Jun;28(6):808–812. doi: 10.1152/jappl.1970.28.6.808. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Li C. L., Mathews G., Bak A. F. Effect of temperature on the response of cervical vagal nerve. Exp Neurol. 1977 Jun;55(3 Pt 1):709–718. doi: 10.1016/0014-4886(77)90295-3. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Low P. A., McLeod J. G. Refractory period, conduction of trains of impulses, and effect of temperature on conduction in chronic hypertrophic neuropathy. J Neurol Neurosurg Psychiatry. 1977 May;40(5):434–447. doi: 10.1136/jnnp.40.5.434. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Lowitzsch K., Hopf H. C., Galland J. Changes of sensory conduction velocity and refractory periods with decreasing tissue temperature in man. J Neurol. 1977 Oct 7;216(3):181–188. doi: 10.1007/BF00313619. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Ludin H. P., Beyeler F. Temperature dependence of normal sensory nerve action potentials. J Neurol. 1977 Oct 7;216(3):173–180. doi: 10.1007/BF00313618. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Rasminsky M. The effects of temperature on conduction in demyelinated single nerve fibers. Arch Neurol. 1973 May;28(5):287–292. doi: 10.1001/archneur.1973.00490230023001. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Ricker K., Hertel G., Stodieck G. Increased voltage of the muscle action potential of normal subjects after local cooling. J Neurol. 1977 Aug 18;216(1):33–38. doi: 10.1007/BF00312813. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Rosenfalck A. Early recognition of nerve disorders by near-nerve recording of sensory action potentials. Muscle Nerve. 1978 Sep-Oct;1(5):360–367. doi: 10.1002/mus.880010504. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Vallbo A. B., Hagbarth K. E., Torebjörk H. E., Wallin B. G. Somatosensory, proprioceptive, and sympathetic activity in human peripheral nerves. Physiol Rev. 1979 Oct;59(4):919–957. doi: 10.1152/physrev.1979.59.4.919. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]