Sensory action potentials in the ulnar and radial nerves of dogs: effect of stimulation site and voltage.
The influence of stimulation site and voltage on amplitude, wave form, conduction time, and velocity of sensory action potentials in the ulnar and radial nerves was evaluated in 25 healthy dogs. A 5-fold increase in stimulation voltage above threshold caused a 300% increase in the amplitude of evoked sensory nerve potentials. An additional 2-fold increase in stimulation voltage (to 10 times threshold) resulted in an additional 40% increase in amplitude. An absolute saturation voltage was not found. Latency velocity was increased by increasing stimulation voltage, but conduction velocity was not affected. Multicomponent nerve action potentials were frequently found at the proximal recording sites. The number of components was not affected by stimulation voltage. Proximal displacement of the stimulation site resulted in an increase in amplitude of the nerve action potentials, increased latency velocity, and fewer components; conduction velocity was not affected. As a consequence of these findings, preference was given to simultaneous recording at 2 sites along the nerve, stimulation at the more proximal stimulation site distal to the carpus, and stimulation voltages between 5 and 10 times the threshold. The occurrence of multicomponent wave forms, the absence of an absolute saturation voltage, and the lowering of the number of components by proximal displacement of the site of stimulation may all be related to the relatively small number of sensory nerve fibers that can be activated at the stimulation site.
D000200:Action Potentials; D000818:Animals; D004285:Dogs / Q000502:physiology*; D004558:Electric Stimulation / Q000379:methods; D004566:Electrodes / Q000662:veterinary; D009475:Neurons, Afferent / Q000502:physiology*; D011826:Radial Nerve / Q000502:physiology*; D014459:Ulnar Nerve / Q000502:physiology*