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Fig. 1 | Neurological Sciences

Fig. 1

From: Assessment of cutaneous axon-reflex responses to evaluate functional integrity of autonomic small nerve fibers

Fig. 1The alternative text for this image may have been generated using AI.

The vasomotor axon-reflex. Epidermal noceptive C-fibers are stimulated via iontophoresis of acetylcholine, which induces local vasodilation of small blood vessels (direct area). Neurophysiologically seen acetylcholine generates an action potential in the unmyelinated C-fiber, which is orthodromically conducted toward the spinal cord. At branching points of the epidermal nerve fibers, the action potential is antidromically conducted to neighboring nerve endings, inducing a release of vasoactive substances with consecutive vasodilation in this neighboring area. This local spread of action potential is known as axon-reflex and the unstimulated skin area is called indirect area

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