Analysis of compound action potentials elicited with specific current stimulating pulses in an isolated rat sciatic nerve.

Abstract

The ability to selectively stimulate Aα, Aβ-fibers and Aδ-fibers in an isolated rat sciatic nerve (SNR) was assessed. The stimulus used was a current, biphasic pulse with a quasitrapezoidal cathodic phase and rectangular anodic phase where parameters were systematically varied: intensity of the cathodic phase (ic); width of the cathodic phase (tc); width of the cathodic exponential decay (texp) and time constant of the exponential decay (τexp). A SNR was stimulated using a pair of hook electrodes while conduction velocity (CV) and compound action potentials (CAP) were measured at two sites along the SNR using another two pairs of electrodes. Results showed that the highest CAP1 (8.5-9 mV), shall be expected when parameters of the stimulus were within the following range: ic=3.8-4 mA, tc=350-400 μs and texp=330-440 μs. Results also showed that with ascending tc and texp, CV of the corresponding superficial region of the SNR was reduced in both, conduction velocity of CAP1 and conduction velocity of CAP2. It was concluded that action potentials (APs) were activated in the Aβ-fibers and Aδ-fibers along with a slight AP inhibition in the Aβ-fibers. The obtained results, could serve as a tool for developing multi-electrode systems that potentially enable fiber-type selective stimulation of nerve fibers.