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Updated: Jun 18, 2026

Electrophysiological Methods to Assess Peripheral Pain Block in an Anesthetized Rat
Published on: November 21, 2025
Combined direct current and high frequency nerve block for elimination of the onset response
Kevin L Kilgore1, Emily A Foldes, D Michael Ackermann
1Dept. of Biomedical Engineering, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH, USA. klk4@case.edu
Abstract:
Nerve conduction in peripheral mammalian nerves can be blocked by high frequency alternating current (HFAC) waveforms. However, one of the disadvantages of HFAC block is that it produces an intense burst of firing in the nerve when the HFAC is first turned on. This is a significant obstacle to the clinical implementation of HFAC block. In this paper we present a method to produce HFAC block without the onset response, using a combination of direct current (DC) and HFAC block. This method was experimentally evaluated in an in-vivo mammalian model. Successful no-onset HFAC block was obtained using a DC block of 200 microA and an HFAC block of 30 kHz at 10 Vp-p. This may allow HFAC block to be used in clinical applications for pain relief.
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