title: Cryoanalgesia: electrophysiology at different temperatures.
abstract: Somatosensory evoked potentials (SEP) and sensory conduction velocity (SCV) were measured in rabbit sciatic nerves following graded cold lesioning. The SEP disappeared when injury was induced at temperatures below -60 degrees C, but returned on day 41+/-4 (mean+/-SD). SEP returned on day 56+/-11 days when the lesion was induced at 100 to -180 degrees C. The SEP latency was prolonged after creating lesions at -100 to -180 degrees C, compared with both the sham operated and the -20 degrees C groups. These experiments suggest the cryolesions produced at temperatures between -60 and -100 degrees C are most suitable for altering the electrophysiological conduction of the nerve, and may result in suitable post-operative analgesia.
authors.affiliation: Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, University of Pennsylvania, 3400 Spruce Street, 5 West Gate Building, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA. linqiu.zhou@uphs.upenn.edu
authors.forename: Linqiu
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Zhou
authors.forename: Zhenhai
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Shao
authors.forename: Shihuan
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Ou
mesh_terms: D000698:Analgesia / Q000379:methods*; D000818:Animals; D003080:Cold Temperature / Q000009:adverse effects; D004594:Electrophysiology; D005073:Evoked Potentials, Somatosensory; D007036:Hypothermia, Induced; D009416:Nerve Regeneration; D009431:Neural Conduction; D011817:Rabbits; D011930:Reaction Time; D012584:Sciatic Nerve / Q000293:injuries* / Q000502:physiology; D013696:Temperature