Classification of peripheral nerve fibres. An historical perspective.
The historical development of the nomenclature used to describe peripheral nerve fibres is described. Some of the properties of nerve fibres and their maturation are discusses. It is suggested that when grouping fibres by their conduction velocities the original terminology introduced by Erlanger and Gasser41 (i.e. A-alpha, beta, gamma, delta, B and C) should be used for efferent nerve fibres, while the nomenclature introduced by Lloyd44 (i.e. groups I,II, III and IV) should be applied to afferent fibres. The terms B, 'gamma efferent', Ia and Ib have specific implications with regard to their source or distribution irrespective of the conduction velocities of the fibres contributing to these groups.
D000200:Action Potentials; D000344:Afferent Pathways; D000818:Animals; D001369:Axons; D002415:Cats; D002965:Classification; D004525:Efferent Pathways; D005071:Evoked Potentials; D049672:History, 19th Century; D049673:History, 20th Century; D006801:Humans; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D009413:Nerve Fibers, Myelinated; D009431:Neural Conduction; D009445:Neuroanatomy / Q000266:history*; D010525:Peripheral Nerves / Q000033:anatomy & histology / Q000502:physiology; D009626:Terminology as Topic