title: Nerve stimulation with an electrode of finite size: differences between constant current and constant voltage stimulation.
abstract: Differences between constant current and constant voltage nerve stimulation are controversial. To elucidate this controversy, exact solutions are found for the electrical potential and current of a conducting electrode of finite size placed near a boundary of altered conductivity. Substantial differences in the effects of a finite and a point stimulator are predicted. This was strongly dependent on the stimulator-boundary distance, the conductivity of the media, and the curvature of the boundary. The difference between constant voltage and constant current stimulation was smaller than the effects of changes in medium conductivity and electrode distance. A poorly conducting boundary layer surrounding the stimulator minimized these differences.
authors.affiliation: Geisinger Medical Center, Department of Neurology, 100 N. Academy Road, Danville, PA 17822, USA. mark_stecker@yahoo.com
authors.forename: Mark M
authors.initials: MM
authors.lastname: Stecker
mesh_terms: D004553:Electric Conductivity; D004558:Electric Stimulation / Q000295:instrumentation / Q000379:methods*; D004566:Electrodes; D004867:Equipment Design; D006801:Humans; D008959:Models, Neurological; D009431:Neural Conduction / Q000502:physiology*; D016012:Poisson Distribution