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Related Concept Videos

Action Potentials01:41

Action Potentials

Overview
Action Potential01:14

Action Potential

Neurons communicate by firing action potentials—the electrochemical signal that is propagated along the axon. The signal results in the release of neurotransmitters at axon terminals, thereby transmitting information to the nervous system. An action potential is a specific "all-or-none" change in membrane potential that results in a rapid spike in voltage.
Membrane potential in neurons
Neurons typically have a resting membrane potential of about -70 millivolts (mV). When they receive...
Action Potential01:14

Action Potential

Neurons communicate by firing action potentials—the electrochemical signal that is propagated along the axon. The signal results in the release of neurotransmitters at axon terminals, thereby transmitting information to the nervous system. An action potential is a specific "all-or-none" change in membrane potential that results in a rapid spike in voltage.
Membrane potential in neurons
Neurons typically have a resting membrane potential of about -70 millivolts (mV). When they receive...
Generation of Action Potential in Skeletal Muscles01:24

Generation of Action Potential in Skeletal Muscles

Every cell in the body maintains a membrane potential due to an uneven distribution of positive and negative charges across its plasma membrane. The membrane potential is measured in millivolts and quantifies the difference in charge across the membrane.
Like neurons, muscle cells are also regarded as excitable due to their capacity to change in response to stimuli, primarily due to voltage-gated ion channels embedded in their plasma membranes, which get activated by alterations in the cell's...
Propagation of Action Potentials01:23

Propagation of Action Potentials

The propagation of an action potential refers to the process by which a nerve impulse, or "action potential," travels along a neuron.
Neurons (nerve cells) have a resting membrane potential, with a slightly negative charge inside compared to outside. This is maintained by ion channels, such as sodium (Na+) and potassium (K+) channels, which control the flow of ions. When a stimulus, like a touch or a signal from another neuron, triggers the neuron, sodium channels open, allowing sodium ions to...
Local Anesthetics: Differential Sensitivity of Nerve Fibers01:24

Local Anesthetics: Differential Sensitivity of Nerve Fibers

Local anesthetics (LAs) block the sodium channels of nerve trunks, sensory nerve endings, and neuromuscular junctions. Although LAs can block all kinds of nerves, the sensitivity of nerve fibers differs according to nerve types and structures. LAs are known to block myelinated fibers faster than unmyelinated ones. Also, they block pain or sensory neurons at low concentrations without affecting the motor neurons involved in muscle contractions. This helps relieve labor pain without affecting the...

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Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jun 16, 2026

Nerve Excitability Assessment in Chemotherapy-induced Neurotoxicity
07:42

Nerve Excitability Assessment in Chemotherapy-induced Neurotoxicity

Published on: April 26, 2012

Measuring sensory nerve action potential electrical power.

Niles M Roberts1, Jacqueline J Wertsch

  • 1Department of PM & R, Zablocki VA Medical Center, Mail Stop 117-D, 100 West National Avenue, Milwaukee, Wisconsin 53295, USA. roberts@mcw.edu

Muscle & Nerve
|February 18, 2010
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

Sensory nerve action potential (SNAP) electrical power (SELP) accurately quantifies axonal loss, unlike SNAP amplitude. SELP effectively distinguishes between one and two median digital nerves, indicating its diagnostic potential.

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Last Updated: Jun 16, 2026

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Published on: April 26, 2012

In Vivo Electrophysiological Measurement of the Rat Ulnar Nerve with Axonal Excitability Testing
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Published on: February 6, 2018

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Area of Science:

  • Neurophysiology
  • Biomedical Engineering
  • Clinical Electrophysiology

Background:

  • Sensory nerve action potential (SNAP) amplitude is a standard measure for axonal loss.
  • Parallel nerve fibers in digital nerves may lead to inaccurate SNAP amplitude readings.
  • Electrical power, being additive, offers a potential alternative for quantifying nerve integrity.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To evaluate the efficacy of SNAP electrical power (SELP) in discriminating varying axon counts.
  • To compare SELP's diagnostic accuracy against traditional SNAP amplitude measurements.
  • To explore SELP's ability to differentiate fingers with one versus two median digital nerves.

Main Methods:

  • Measured antidromic SNAP amplitudes and SELPs in 15 human fingers.
  • Determined SELP by connecting 17 external resistors and regressing power versus resistance.
  • Utilized the peak of the power-resistance plot to define SELP, derived from power transfer equations.

Main Results:

  • SELP was significantly higher in two-digital-nerve fingers (mean 525 fW) compared to one-digital-nerve fingers (mean 190 fW).
  • The difference in SELP means was 3.3 standard deviations (P < 0.01), indicating high statistical significance.
  • SELP accurately discriminated all one-digital-nerve fingers with no false positives, unlike SNAP amplitude.

Conclusions:

  • SELP is a superior measure for quantifying axonal loss in digital nerves compared to SNAP amplitude.
  • The additive nature of electrical power makes SELP a more reliable indicator of nerve fiber integrity.
  • SELP technique demonstrates significant potential for clinical applications in diagnosing peripheral nerve conditions.