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Relationship between temperature and stimulation frequency in conduction block of amphibian myelinated axon
Changfeng Tai1, Jicheng Wang, James R Roppolo
1Department of Urology, University of Pittsburgh, W1354 Biomedical Science Tower, Pittsburgh, PA 15261, USA. cftai@pitt.edu
Abstract:
The temperature-frequency relationship in nerve conduction block induced by high-frequency, biphasic electrical current was investigated by computer simulation using an amphibian myelinated axon model based on Frankenhaeuser-Huxley (FH) equations. For an axon of diameter 10 microm, the minimal blocking frequency was changed from 6 to 3 kHz as the temperature was decreased from 37 degrees C to 15 degrees C. The maximal blocking temperature below which the axon could be blocked was increased from 22 degrees C to 37 degrees C as the stimulation frequency was increased from 4 to 8 kHz. The maximal blocking temperature was not influenced by axon diameter. Simulation analysis also revealed that activation of potassium channels might determine the temperature-frequency relationship. This study indicates that temperature might be one of the factors that cause the frequency discrepancy as reported in previous animal studies.
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