title: Microneurographic study of C fiber discharges induced by CO2 laser stimulation in humans.
abstract: We investigated C-fiber discharges and cerebral potentials evoked by weak CO(2) laser beams applied to a tiny skin area in five healthy subjects. Microneurography was performed from the peroneal nerve in the right popliteal area. Cerebral potentials were recorded from the Cz electrode referred to linked earlobes. The mean conduction velocity of five stable single units was 1.1+/-0.3 m/s. The mean latency of the positive peak of cerebral potentials was 1327.4+/-46.2 ms. These findings indicated that this new stimulation method selectively activated C-fiber nociceptors of the skin.
authors.affiliation: Department of Integrative Physiology, National Institute for Physiological Sciences, Okazaki 444-8585, Japan. yhqiu@nips.ac.jp
authors.forename: Yunhai
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Qiu
authors.forename: Qi
authors.initials: Q
authors.lastname: Fu
authors.forename: Xiaohong
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Tuan Diep
authors.initials: TD
authors.lastname: Tran
authors.forename: Koji
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Inui
authors.forename: Satoshi
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Iwase
authors.forename: Ryusuke
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Kakigi
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D002245:Carbon Dioxide / Q000737:chemistry*; D002540:Cerebral Cortex / Q000528:radiation effects; D004569:Electroencephalography / Q000379:methods; D005071:Evoked Potentials / Q000528:radiation effects; D006801:Humans; D007834:Lasers; D008297:Male; D036421:Nerve Fibers, Unmyelinated / Q000528:radiation effects*; D009431:Neural Conduction / Q000528:radiation effects; D010543:Peroneal Nerve / Q000502:physiology / Q000528:radiation effects*; D010812:Physical Stimulation / Q000379:methods; D011930:Reaction Time / Q000528:radiation effects; D012867:Skin / Q000294:innervation / Q000528:radiation effects
chemical_list: D002245:Carbon Dioxide