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Updated: Mar 18, 2026

Three-dimensional Imaging of Nociceptive Intraepidermal Nerve Fibers in Human Skin Biopsies
Published on: April 29, 2013
Membrane properties in small cutaneous nerve fibers in humans
Kristian Hennings1, Ken Steffen Frahm1, Laura Petrini1
1Integrative Neuroscience Group, SMI, Department of Health Science and Technology, Aalborg University, Frederik Bajers Vej 7, Aalborg, Denmark.
Introduction:
Assessment of membrane properties is important for understanding the mechanisms of painful peripheral neuropathy, developing new diagnostic techniques, and screening/profiling of analgesics that target ion channels.
Methods:
Small cutaneous nerves were activated electrically by small diameter (0.2 mm) cathodes, and large nerves were activated by ordinary patch electrodes. This new perception threshold tracking method combines perception threshold assessment and stimulation paradigms from conventional threshold tracking.
Results:
The strength-duration time-constant of large fibers (580 µs ± 160 µs) was lower than the time constant of small fibers (1060 µs ± 690 µs; P < 0.01, paired t-test). Threshold electrotonus showed similar threshold reductions to sub-threshold prepulses, except for 80 ms hyperpolarizing prepulses, to which small fibers showed less threshold reduction than large fibers (repeated-measures analysis of variance, Bonferroni, P = 0.006).
Conclusions:
This is a reliable method to investigate the membrane properties of small cutaneous nerve fibers in humans and may be used in clinical settings as a diagnostic or profiling tool. Muscle Nerve 55: 195-201, 2017.
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