title: [Nonlinear dynamic analysis of electrical signals of wide dynamic range neurons in the spinal dorsal horn evoked by acupuncture manipulation at different frequencies].
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To study the encoding information of electrical signals of wide dynamic range (WDR) neurons in the spinal dorsal horn evoked by acupuncture manipulation at different frequencies using nonlinear dynamics analysis.
  
  
  METHODS
  Microelectrode extracellular recordings were used to observe the WDR neuron discharge evoked by acupuncture manipulation at Zusanli point (ST36) with different frequencies (0.5, 1, 2, and 3 Hz) in SD rats. The nonlinear dynamics analysis method was used to extract the nonlinear characteristic parameters, such as interspike interval, the Lyapunov exponent, Lempel-Ziv complexity, and the neural coding of the electrical signal evoked by acupuncture manipulations at different frequencies.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Different characteristics were manifested with acupuncture manipulations at 4 different frequencies. More than a simple linear correlation was shown between the firing rate of the WDR neurons and the frequency of the acupuncture manipulation. The electrical signals evoked by acupuncture manipulation at Zusanli point (ST36) showed distinguished chaotic features.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  It is applicable and feasible to describe and summarize the rhythm of the acupuncture electrical signal using the concepts and terminology of the nonlinear dynamics. Different acupuncture manipulation methods could interfere the transmission, coding, and processing of electrical signals in the spinal dorsal horn.
authors.affiliation: Department of Physiology, College of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Tianjin University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Tianjin.
authors.forename: Tao
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Zhou
authors.forename: Jiang
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Chun-xiao
authors.initials: CX
authors.lastname: Han
mesh_terms: D015670:Acupuncture Therapy / Q000379:methods*; D000818:Animals; D008297:Male; D008839:Microelectrodes; D017711:Nonlinear Dynamics; D020671:Posterior Horn Cells / Q000502:physiology*; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D013116:Spinal Cord / Q000502:physiology*