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Das kritische Intervall peripherer Nerven bei Reizung am gleichen und an verschiedenen Orten

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Summary

The critical interval of the ulnar nerve was studied in two different ways in 15 normal subjects. Needle electrodes were used for application of stimuli giving the adventage to obtain a supramaximal excitation of the nerve by impulses of rather short duration and low intensity. Recording of nerve action potentials was done by needle electrodes as well, and amplitudes seen with this method were considerably higher than those recorded by surface electrodes.

After a single supramaximal stimulation of the nerve a second shock applied at the same site does not evoke a propagated nerve action potential until a certain interval (critical interval) of 0.55–0.70 msec has elapsed. This interval is markedly shortened to values between 0.35 and 0.55 msec if the first and the second stimulus are delivered to different points of the nerve, about 5 cm apart from each other.

Furthermore it was observed that at high stimulus intensities the critical interval is not altered by varying the duration of the stimulating impulses between 0.05 and 1.0 msec.

A possible explanation for these results is discussed.

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  1. Aus der Neurologischen Universitätsklinik Würzburg, Germany

    Hanns Christian Hopf

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  1. Hanns Christian Hopf
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Hopf, H.C. Das kritische Intervall peripherer Nerven bei Reizung am gleichen und an verschiedenen Orten. Pflügers Archiv 279, 67–72 (1964). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00363321

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00363321

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