title: Effect of electrical stimulation of peripheral nerves on neuropathic pain.
abstract: METHODS
  Changes in the electrophysiologic response of spinal dorsal horn neurons elicited by peripheral electrical stimulation were examined.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To investigate whether the electrical stimulation of peripheral nerves causes an inhibition of pain at the spinal cord level.
  
  
  BACKGROUND
  The wide dynamic range neurons studied were known to be excited by primary afferent fibers, not only combined A (delta) and C nociceptive fibers, but also low-threshold mechanoreceptive A (beta) fibers and A (delta) fibers of down hairs. The wide dynamic range neurons are classified as nociceptive neurons.
  
  
  METHODS
  Responses of wide dynamic range neurons in the lumbosacral dorsal horn to input from C fibers were studied in urethane chloralose-anesthetized cats. The posterior tibial nerve and sciatic nerve were stimulated simultaneously to examine the effect on the C fiber responses elicited by superficial peroneal nerve stimulation.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Simultaneous stimulation of the posterior tibial nerve and sciatic nerve was performed with superficial peroneal nerve C fiber stimulation.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This study demonstrated that electrical stimulation of peripheral nerves leads to inhibitory input to the pain pathways at the spinal cord level.
authors.affiliation: Inabe Orthopaedic Clinic, Inabe, Mie, Japan.
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Hanai
mesh_terms: D000200:Action Potentials; D000818:Animals; D002415:Cats; D004558:Electric Stimulation; D008465:Mechanoreceptors / Q000502:physiology; D009412:Nerve Fibers / Q000502:physiology; D009619:Nociceptors / Q000502:physiology*; D010146:Pain / Q000503:physiopathology* / Q000517:prevention & control; D010543:Peroneal Nerve / Q000502:physiology*; D010812:Physical Stimulation; D020671:Posterior Horn Cells / Q000502:physiology*; D012867:Skin / Q000294:innervation; D013117:Spinal Cord Compression / Q000503:physiopathology; D013979:Tibial Nerve / Q000502:physiology*