title: Simulation of high-frequency sinusoidal electrical block of mammalian myelinated axons.
abstract: High frequency alternating current (HFAC) sinusoidal waveforms can block conduction in mammalian peripheral nerves. A mammalian axon model was used to simulate the response of nerves to HFAC conduction block. Sinusoidal waveforms from 1 to 40 kHz were delivered to eight simulated axon diameters ranging from 7.3 to 16 microm. Conduction block was obtained between 3 to 40 kHz. The minimum peak to peak current at which block was obtained, defined as the block threshold, increased with increasing frequency. Block threshold varied inversely with axon diameter. Upon initiation, the HFAC waveform produced one or more action potentials. These simulation results closely parallel previous experimental results of high frequency motor block of the rat sciatic and cat pudendal nerve. During HFAC block, the axons showed a dynamic steady state depolarization of multiple nodes, strongly suggesting a depolarization mechanism for HFAC conduction block.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biomedical Engineering, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, Ohio, USA. nxb26@cwru.edu
authors.forename: Niloy
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Bhadra
authors.forename: Emily A
authors.initials: EA
authors.lastname: Lahowetz
authors.forename: Stephen T
authors.initials: ST
authors.lastname: Foldes
authors.forename: Kevin L
authors.initials: KL
authors.lastname: Kilgore
mesh_terms: D000200:Action Potentials / Q000502:physiology*; D000818:Animals; D001369:Axons / Q000502:physiology*; D002462:Cell Membrane / Q000502:physiology; D002642:Chick Embryo; D003198:Computer Simulation; D004558:Electric Stimulation / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000379:methods; D006801:Humans; D008322:Mammals / Q000502:physiology; D008564:Membrane Potentials / Q000502:physiology; D009407:Nerve Block / Q000295:instrumentation / Q000379:methods; D009413:Nerve Fibers, Myelinated / Q000502:physiology*; D009431:Neural Conduction / Q000502:physiology*; D010525:Peripheral Nerves / Q000502:physiology*; D051381:Rats; D011930:Reaction Time / Q000502:physiology; D013997:Time Factors