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Simulation of high-frequency sinusoidal electrical block of mammalian myelinated axons

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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 μm. 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.

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Acknowledgments

This work was supported by the National Institute of Health (NIH) Grant R01-EB-002091 and the State of Ohio Biomedical Research and Technology Transfer Partnership Award BRTT 03-0005. We thank Dr. Cameron C. McIntyre for advice and Angelique Johnson and Alan Barnes for help with the nerve modeling software.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Biomedical Engineering, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, Ohio, USA

    Niloy Bhadra, Emily A. Lahowetz, Stephen T. Foldes & Kevin L. Kilgore

  2. Department of Orthopaedics, MetroHealth Medical Center, 2500 MetroHealth Drive, Hamann 601, Cleveland, OH 44109, Ohio, USA

    Niloy Bhadra & Kevin L. Kilgore

  3. Department of Veterans Affairs, Rehabilitation Research and Development Service, Cleveland, Ohio, USA

    Kevin L. Kilgore

Authors
  1. Niloy Bhadra
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  2. Emily A. Lahowetz
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  3. Stephen T. Foldes
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  4. Kevin L. Kilgore
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Correspondence to Niloy Bhadra.

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Action Editor: Karen Sigvardt

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Bhadra, N., Lahowetz, E.A., Foldes, S.T. et al. Simulation of high-frequency sinusoidal electrical block of mammalian myelinated axons. J Comput Neurosci 22, 313–326 (2007). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10827-006-0015-5

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10827-006-0015-5

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