A model of a myelinated nerve axon: threshold behaviour and propagation.
A model of a myelinated nerve axon is developed on the basis of FitzHugh-Nagumo dynamics under the assumption that the nodes of Ranvier are of small but finite width. It is shown that a periodic excited state may not exist if the width of the nodes is too small and the leakage across the myelin sheath is too great. The propagation of a super threshold pulse is prevented in the absence of nodes. Global stability of the resting equilibrium state is investigated as well as the propagation of "wave front", type solutions.
D000818:Animals; D001369:Axons / Q000502:physiology*; D008433:Mathematics; D008959:Models, Neurological; D009413:Nerve Fibers, Myelinated / Q000502:physiology*