Abstract
High-frequency alternating current (AC) waveforms have been shown to produce a quickly reversible nerve block in animal models, but the parameters and mechanism of this block are not well understood. A frog sciatic nerve/gastrocnemius muscle preparation was used to examine the parameters for nerve conduction block in vivo, and a computer simulation of the nerve membrane was used to identify the mechanism for block. The results indicated that a 100% block of motor activity can be accomplished with a variety of waveform parameters, including sinusoidal and rectangular waveforms at frequencies from 2 kHz to 20 kHz. A complete and reversible block was achieved in 34 out of 34 nerve preparations tested. The most efficient waveform for conduction block was a 3–5 kHz constant-current biphasic sinusoid, where block could be achieved with stimulus levels as low as 0.01 μC phase−1. It was demonstrated that the block was not produced indirectly through fatigue. Computer simulation of high-frequency AC demonstrated a steady-state depolarisation of the nerve membrane, and it is hypothesised that the conduction block was due to this tonic depolarisation. The precise relationship between the steady-state depolarisation and the conduction block requires further analysis. The results of this study demonstrated that high-frequency AC can be used to produce a fast-acting, and quickly reversible nerve conduction block that may have multiple applications in the treatment of unwanted neural activity.
Article PDF
Similar content being viewed by others
Avoid common mistakes on your manuscript.
References
Abdel-Gawad, M., Boyer, S., Sawan, M., andElhilali, M. M. (2001): ‘Reduction of bladder outlet resistance by selective stimulation of the ventral sacral root using high frequency blockade: a chronic study in spinal cord transected dogs’,J. Urol.,166, pp. 728–733
Accornero, N., Giorgio, B., Lenzi, G. L., andManfredi, M. (1977): ‘Selective activation of peripheral nerve fibre groups of different diameter by triangular shaped stimulus pulses’,J. Physiol.,273, pp. 539–560
Agnew, W. F., McCreery, D. B., Yuen, T. G., andBullara, L. A. (1990): ‘Local anaesthetic block prevents against electrically-induced damage in peripheral nerve’,J. Biomed. Eng.,12, pp. 301–308
Baratta, R., Ichie, M., Hwang, S. K., andSolomonow, M. (1989): ‘Orderly stimulation of skeletal muscle motor units with tripolar nerve cuff electrodes’,IEEE Trans. Biomed. Eng.,36, pp. 836–843
Bowman, B. R., andMcNeal, D. R. (1986): ‘Response of single alpha motoneurons to high-frequency pulse trains’,Appl. Neurophysiol.,49, pp. 121–138
Campbell, B., andWoo, M. Y. (1966): ‘Further studies on asynchronous firing and block of peripheral nerve conduction’,Bull. Los Ang. Neurol. Soc.,31, pp. 63–71
Cattel, M., andGerard, R. W. (1935): ‘The ‘inhibitory’ effect of high-frequency stimulation and the excitation state of nerve’,J. Physiol.,83, pp. 407–415
Fang, Z. P., andMortimer, J. T. (1991): ‘Selective activation of small motor axons by quasi-trapezoidal current pulses’,IEEE Trans. Biomed. Eng.,38, pp. 168–174
Fields, R. W., O'Donnell, R. P., andTacke, R. B. (1979): ‘Effects of variations in rectangular pulse duty cycle and intensity on pulsating direct current electro-analgesia of cat tooth pulp’,Arch. Oral Biol.,24, pp. 509–514
Forbes, A., andRice, L. H. (1929): ‘Quantitative studies of the nerve impulse IV. Fatigue of the peripheral nerve’,Am. J. Physiol.,90, pp. 119–145
Grill, W. M., andMortimer, J. T. (1997): ‘Inversion of the current-distance relationship by transient depolarization’,IEEE Trans. Biomed. Eng.,44, pp. 1–9
Hassouna, M., Duval, F., Li, J. S., Latt, R., Sawan, M., andElhilali, M. M. (1992): ‘Effect of early bladder stimulation on spinal shock: experimental approach’,Urology,40, pp. 563–573
Hines, M. L., andCarnevale, N. T. (1997): ‘The NEURON simulation environment’,Neur. Comput.,9, pp. 1179–1209
Huang, C. Q., Shepherd, R. K., Seligman, P. M., andClark, G. M. (1998): ‘Reduction in excitability of the auditory nerve following acute electrical stimulation at high stimulus rates: III. Capacitive versus non-capacitive coupling of the stimulating electrodes’,Hear. Res.,116, pp. 55–64
Huang, C. Q., andShepherd, R. K. (1999): ‘Reduction in excitability of the auditory nerve following electrical stimulation at high stimulus rates. IV. Effects of stimulus intensity’,Hear. Res.,132, pp. 60–68
Hurlbert, R. L., Tator, C. H., andTheriault, E. (1993): ‘Dose-response study of the pathological effects of chronically applied direct current stimulation on the normal rat spinal cord’,J. Neurosurg.,79, pp. 905–916
Ishigooka, M., Hashimoto, T., Sasagawa, I., Izumiya, K. andNakada, T. (1994): ‘Modulation of the urethral pressure by high-frequency block stimulus in dogs’,Eur. Urol. 25, pp. 334–337
Javel, E., Tong, Y. C., Shepherd, R. K., Clark, G. M. (1987): ‘Responses of cat auditory nerve fibers to biphasic electrical current pulses’,Ann. Otol. Rhinol. Laryngol. Suppl.,128, pp. 26–30
Knedlitschek, G., Noszvai-Nagy, M., Meyer-Waarden, H., Schimmelpeeng, J., Weibezahn, K. F., andDertinger, H. (1994): ‘Cyclic AMP response in cells exposed to electric fields of different frequencies and intensities’,Radiat. Environ. Biophys.,33, pp. 141–147
Krauthamer, V., andCrosheck, T. (2002): ‘Effects of high-rate electrical stimulation upon firing in modelled and real neurons’,Med. Biol. Eng. Comput.,40, pp. 360–366
Li, J. S., Hassouna, M., Sawan, M., Duval, F., andElhilali, M. M. (1995): ‘Long-term effect of sphincteric fatigue during bladder neurostimulation’,J. Urology,153, pp. 238–242
McCreery, D. B., Agnew, W. F., Yuen, T. G., andBullara, L. (1990): ‘Charge density and charge per phase as cofactors in neural injury induced by electrical stimulation’,IEEE Trans. Biomed. Eng.,37, pp. 996–1001
McCreery, D. B., Agnew, W. F., Yuen, T. G., andBullara, L. (1992): ‘Damage in peripheral nerve from continuous electrical stimulation: comparison of two stimulus waveforms’,Med. Biol. Eng. Comput.,30, pp. 109–114
McCreery, D. B., Agnew, W. F., Yuen, T. G. H., Bullara, L. A. (1995): ‘Relationship between stimulus amplitude, stimulus frequency and neural damage during electrical stimulation of sciatic nerve of cat’,Med. Biol. Eng. Comput.,33, pp. 426–429
McIntyre, C. C., andGrill, W. M. (1998): ‘Sensitivity analysis of a model of mammalian neural membrane’,Biol. Cybern.,79, pp. 29–37
McIntyre, C. C., Richardson, A. G., andGrill, W. M. (2002): ‘Modeling the excitability of mammalian nerve fibers: influence of afterpotentials on the recovery cycle’,J. Neurophysiol.,87, pp. 995–1006
McNeal, D. R. (1976): ‘Analysis of a model for excitation of myelinated nerve’,IEEE Trans. Biomed. Eng.,23, pp. 329–337
Mitchell, A., Miller, J. J., Finger, P. A., Heller, J. W., Raphael, Y., andAltschuler, R. A. (1997): ‘Effects of chronic high-rate electrical stimulation on the cochlea and eighth nerve in the deafened guinea pig’,Hear. Res.,105, pp. 30–43
Mortimer, J. T. (1981): ‘Motor prostheses’, inBrookhart, J. M., Mountcastle, V. B., Brooks, V. B., andGeiger, S. R. (Eds): ‘Handbook of physiology, section 1: the nervous system—vol. II motor control, Part 1’ (Amer. Physiol. Soc., Bethesda, USA, 1981), Chap. 5, pp. 155–187
Petruska, J. C., Hubscher, C. H., andJohnson, R. D. (1998): ‘Anodally focused polarization of peripheral nerve allows discrimination of myelinated and unmyelinated fiber input to brainstem nuclei’,Exp. Brain Res.,121, pp. 379–390
Pudenz, R. H., Bullara, L. A., Jacques, S., andHambrecht, F. T. (1975): ‘Electrical stimulation of the brain. III. The neural damage model’,Surg. Neurol.,4, pp. 389–400
Ranck, J. B., andBement, S. (1965): ‘The specific impedance of the dorsal columns of the cat: an anisotropic medium’,Exp. Neurol.,11, pp. 451–463
Ranck, J. B. (1975): ‘Which elements are excited in electrical stimulation of mammalian central nervous system: a review’,Brain Res.,98, pp. 417–440
Rattay, F. (1990): ‘Electrical nerve stimulation: theory, experiments and applications’, (Springer-Verlag, Wien, New York, 1990), pp. 183–185
Reboul, J., andRosenblueth, A. (1939): ‘The action of alternating currents upon the electrical excitability of nerve’,Am. J. Physiol.,125, pp. 205–215
Richardson, A. G., McIntyre, C. C., andGrill, W. M. (2000): ‘Modelling the effects of electric fields on nerve fibres: influence of the myelin sheath’,Med. Biol. Eng. Comput. 38, pp. 438–446
Sassen, M., andZimmermann, M. (1973): ‘Differential blocking of myelinated nerve fibers by transient depolarization’,Pflugers Arch.,341, pp. 179–195
Sawan, M., Hassouna, M. M., Li, J. S., Duval, F., andElhilali, M. M. (1996): ‘Stimulator design and subsequent stimulation parameter optimization for controlling micturition and reducing urethral resistance’,IEEE Trans. Rehabil. Eng.,4, pp. 39–46
Shaker, H. S., Tu, L. M., Robin, S., Arabi, K., Hassouna, M., Sawan, M., andElhilali, M. M. (1998): ‘Reduction of bladder outlet resistance by selective sacral root stimulation using high-frequency blockade in dogs: an acute study’,J. Urol.,160, pp. 901–907
Solomonow, M., Eldred, E., Lyman, J., andFoster, J. (1983): ‘Control of muscle contractile force through indirect high-frequency stimulation’,Am. J. Phys. Med.,62, pp. 71–82
Solomonow, M. (1984): ‘External control of the neuromuscular system’,IEEE Trans. Biomed. Eng.,31, pp. 752–763
Sweeney, J. D., andMortimer, J. T. (1986): ‘An asymmetric two electrode cuff for generation of unidirectionally propagated action potentials’,IEEE Trans. Biomed. Eng.,33, pp. 541–549
Tanner, J. A. (1962): ‘Reversible blocking of nerve conduction by alternating current excitation’,Nature,195, pp. 712–713
Tykocinski, M., Shepherd, R. K., andClark, G. M. (1995): ‘Reduction in excitability of the auditory nerve following electrical stimulation at high stimulus rates’,Hear. Res.,88, pp. 124–142
Warman, E. N., Grill, W. G., andDurand, D. (1992): ‘Modeling the effects of electric fields on nerve fibers: determination of excitation thresholds’,IEEE Trans. Biomed. Eng.,39, pp. 1244–1254
Wedensky, N. E. (1903): ‘Die Erregung, Hemmung und Narkose’,Pfluger's Arch.,100, p. 1
Whitman, J. G., andKidd, C. (1975): ‘The use of direct current to cause selective block of large fibres in peripheral nerves’,Br. J. Anaesth,47, pp. 1123–1132
Williamson, R. (1999): ‘A new generation neural prosthesis’, PhD dissertation, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
Woo, M. Y., and Campbell, B. (1964): ‘Asynchronous firing and block of peripheral nerve conduction by 20 Kc alternating current’,Bull. Los Angeles Neurol. Soc.,29, pp. 87–94
Yarowsky, P. J., andIngvar, D. H. (1981): ‘Neuronal activity and energy metabolism’,Fed. Proc.,40, pp. 2353–2362
Yuen, T. G., Agnew, W. F., andBullara, L. A. (1984): ‘Histopathological evaluation of dog sacral nerve after chronic electrical stimulation for micturition’,Neurosurg.,14, pp. 449–455
Zhou, B., Baratta, R., andSolomonow, M. (1987): ‘Manipulation of muscle force with various firing rates and recruitment control strategies’,IEEE Trans. Biomed. Eng.,34, pp. 128–139
Zimmermann, M. (1968): ‘Selective activation of C-fibers’,Pflugers Archiv.,301, pp. 329–333
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Kilgore, K.L., Bhadra, N. Nerve conduction block utilising high-frequency alternating current. Med. Biol. Eng. Comput. 42, 394–406 (2004). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02344716
Received:
Accepted:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02344716