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Post-stimulation block of frog sciatic nerve by high-frequency (kHz) biphasic stimulation

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Abstract

This study determined if high-frequency biphasic stimulation can induce nerve conduction block that persists after the stimulation is terminated, i.e., post-stimulation block. The frog sciatic nerve-muscle preparation was used in the study. Muscle contraction force induced by low-frequency (0.5 Hz) nerve stimulation was recorded to indicate the occurrence and recovery of nerve block induced by the high-frequency (5 or 10 kHz) biphasic stimulation. Nerve block was observed during high-frequency stimulation and after termination of the stimulation. The recovery from post-stimulation block occurred in two distinct phases. During the first phase, the complete block induced during high-frequency stimulation was maintained. The average maximal duration for the first phase was 107 ± 50 s. During the second phase, the block gradually or abruptly reversed. The duration of both first and second phases was dependent on stimulation intensity and duration but not frequency. Stimulation of higher intensity (1.4–2 times block threshold) and longer duration (5 min) produced the longest period (249 ± 58 s) for a complete recovery. Post-stimulation block can be induced by high-frequency biphasic stimulation, which is important for future investigations of the blocking mechanisms and for optimizing the stimulation parameters or protocols in clinical applications.

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Acknowledgments

This study is supported by NIH/NIDDK under Grants DK-068566.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Urology, University of Pittsburgh, 700 Kaufmann Building, Pittsburgh, PA, 15213, USA

    Guangning Yang, Zhiying Xiao, Jicheng Wang, Bing Shen & Changfeng Tai

  2. Department of Biomedical Engineering, Beijing Jiaotong University, Beijing, China

    Guangning Yang

  3. Department of Urology, The Second Hospital, Shandong University, Jinan, China

    Zhiying Xiao

  4. Department of Pharmacology and Chemical Biology, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA

    James R. Roppolo, William C. de Groat & Changfeng Tai

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  1. Guangning Yang
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  2. Zhiying Xiao
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  3. Jicheng Wang
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  4. Bing Shen
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  5. James R. Roppolo
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  6. William C. de Groat
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  7. Changfeng Tai
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Correspondence to Changfeng Tai.

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Yang, G., Xiao, Z., Wang, J. et al. Post-stimulation block of frog sciatic nerve by high-frequency (kHz) biphasic stimulation. Med Biol Eng Comput 55, 585–593 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11517-016-1539-0

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11517-016-1539-0

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