Chronically implanted epineural electrodes for repeated assessment of nerve conduction velocity and compound action potential amplitude in rodents

Abstract

Implanted epineural electrodes were used for the longitudinal assessment of peripheral nerve conduction velocity (NCV) and compound action potential (CAP) amplitude in rats. Custom-fabricated stimulating and recording electrodes were sutured over the tibial and sciatic nerves, respectively, and were used for weekly recordings of CAP latency and amplitude. Intra-day variability of nerve conduction velocity measurements had coefficients of variation of less than 2% for same day recordings from individual subjects. A clear trend in recovery of the NCV values following implant was observed over the 7-week trial period. These results demonstrate that implanted epineural electrodes provide a reliable method for chronic, in vivo monitoring of nerve conduction parameters in rodents.