Mapping location of excitation during magnetic stimulation: Effects of coil position

We determined the location of excitation for different positions of a round and butterfly coil duringin vitro magnetic stimulation of cut peripheral nerves. We analyzed the conditions under which excitation occurs, either at the termination or at the peak of the field gradients (first spatial derivative of the electric field). These results were then compared to predictions about the location of excitation sites from a theoretical model of magnetic stimulation of finite neuronal structures. Excitation along a straight nerve occurred at terminations when 1) a coil was positioned close to the end of a nerve (at least one diameter length from the end), 2) a nerve ended in a finite terminating impedance much greater than the axial resistance of the nerve, 3) the induced electric field was of sufficient magnitude, pointing in a direction away from the axis of a nerve. Excitation occurred at the negative peak of the field gradients along a nerve when 1) a coil was positioned far away from the ends of a nerve, 2) there were no geometric or volume conductor inhomogeneities around a nerve, and 3) it was of sufficient magnitude. Threshold strengths for excitation at terminations were significantly lower than that for field gradient excitation and comparable to that due to geometric and volume conductor inhomogeneities.     

A critique of impedance measurements in cardiac tissue

The specific impedance of cardiac tissue cannot be measured directly. Instead, the investigator obtains voltage and current measurements and places them into a model of the tissue's structure to infer the impedances of elements of the model. If the model fails to describe major aspects of the real tissue, the results may be worthless, although possibly self-consistent. In the literature of impedance measurement in cardiac tissue, only rarely is the model explicitly described; more commonly, the tissue model is adopted implicitly when equations giving the impedance in terms of voltage and current measurements are adopted. This paper examines the series of models that have been used in specific impedance measurements of cardiac tissue and shows how the same or similar measurements can accurately describe tissue impedivity or can lead to significant errors when inadequate models such as isotropic and anisotropic monodomains (although a part of work of historical merit) are used.     

Electrical properties of implant encapsulation tissue

The purpose of this study was to determine the electrical properties of the encapsulation tissue that surrounds electrodes chronically implanted in the body. Two four-electrode arrays, fabricated from either epoxy or silicone rubber, were implanted in each of six adult cats for 82 to 156 days.In vivo measurements of tissue resistivity using the four-electrode technique indicated that formation of the encapsulation tissue resulted in a significant increase in the resistivity of the tissue around the arrays.In vitro measurements of tissue impedance using a four-electrode cell indicated that the resistivity of the encapsulation tissue was a function of the tissue morphology. The tight layers of fibroblasts and collagen that formed around the silicone rubber arrays had a resistivity of 627±108 Ω-cm (mean ± SD; n=6), which was independent of frequency from 10 Hz to 100 kHz, and was significantly larger than the resistivity of the epoxy encapsulation tissue at all frequencies between 20 Hz and 100 kHz. The combination of macrophages, foreign body giant cells, loose collagen, and fibroblasts that formed around the epoxy arrays had a frequency-dependent resistivity that decreased from 454±123 Ω-cm (n=5) to 193±98 Ω-cm between 10 Hz and 1 kHz, and was independent of frequency between 1 kHz and 100 kHz, with a mean value of 195 ±88 Ω-cm. The results indicate that the resistivity of the encapsulation tissue is sufficient to alter the shape and magnitude of the electric field generated by chronically implanted electrodes.     

In vivo electrical characteristics of human skin, including at biological active points

The aim is to compare the mean values of the in vivo electrical characteristics of bioiogical active points (BAPs) with those of the surrounding human skin. The impedance measurements at BAPs and on the surrounding skin are carried out in vivo on ten young, healthy people. The results of the measurements show that the BAP resistance R_P is smaller, and the capacitance C_P is higher, than the corresponding values for skin, R_S and C_S, respectively, these differences are larger at low frequencies (at f=3 Hz, R_S/R_P=3.19 and C_P/C_S=3.2). The mean values of the impedance measurements at the BAPs are different from those measured on the skin. The dependence of R_P and C_P on the pressing force, in the range of about 1–5 N, for the BAPs, has a smaller slope than that observed for the surrounding skin. An equivalent circuit for the BAPs is proposed that describes sufficiently well the experimental results obtained. These results show that the large dispersion in the observed impedance characteristics of the human body measurements in different body regions can be related to the influence of the BAPs present under the electrodes.     

Properties of implanted electrodes for functional electrical stimulation

Implanted wire electrodes are increasingly being used for the functional electrical stimulation of muscles in partially paralysed patients, yet many of their basic characteristics are poorly understood. In this study we investigated the selectivity, recruitment characteristics and range of control of several types of electrode in triceps surae and plantaris muscles of anaesthetized cats. We found that nerve cuffs are more efficient and selective (i.e., cause less stimulus spread to surrounding muscles) than intramuscular electrodes. Bipolar intramuscular stimulation was more efficient and selective than monopolar stimulation, but only if the nerve entry point was between the electrodes. Monopolar electrodes are efficient and selective if located close to the nerve entry point, but their performance declines with distance from it. Nonetheless, for a variety of reasons monopolar stimulation provides the best compromise in many current applications. Short duration pulses offer the best efficiency (least charge per pulse to elicit force) but high peak currents, increasing the risk of electrode corrosion and tissue damage. Electrode size has little effect on recruitment and should therefore be maximised because this minimises current density.     

16通道人工耳蜗植入装置的原理和研制

人工耳蜗植入是利用电听觉原理恢复聋人听觉的一种有效方法，作者依据耳蜗在电刺激条件下的听觉生理学原理和心理声学参量，提出汉语主意编码方案的设想，研制出１６通道耳蜗植入电极系统和语言处理装置，并进行初步动物实验研究。     

Changes of energy metabolism,myosin light chain composition,lactate dehydrogenase isozyme pattern and fibre type distribution of denervated fast-twitch muscle from rabbit after low frequency stimulation

The influence of low frequency (8–10 Hz) electrical stimulation on denervated fast-twitch muscle from rabbit was investigated. Prolonged direct stimulation of denervated muscle resulted in higher oxidative enzyme activities. Furthermore, single fibre analyses for succinate dehydrogenase showed a more uniform distribution of activity in stimulated-denervated muscle when compared to normal muscle. As was also the case following stimulation of innervated muscle, glycolytic enzymes were decreased in activity and the LDH-isozyme pattern also shifted towards heart type. No change of the myosin light chain pattern could be observed after 56 days of stimulation.This study was supported by the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft, Sonderforschungsbereich 138, and by grant NI 204-2-2. H. R. is grateful to Dr. Dirk Pette for his guidance and encouragement during this work, which was done in Dr. Pette's laboratory at the University of Konstanz     

Red cell flexibility,electrical resistance and viscosity of blood flowing through small glass capillaries

The influence of varying shear forces (4–10 N·cm^–2) generated by a pulsating flow of 4 cycles/min, on the longitudinal electrical resistance (R) of a blood perfused small glass capillary (I.D.=0.12 mm,l=30 mm) was determined. Red cells were stiffened by stepwise addition of bile or by sterile incubation during 24–48 h. The shear dependent changes in R were closely related to red cell flexibility and apparent blood viscosity. In normal defibrinized blood Rdecreased by about 3%, while more rigid cells evoked a shear dependentincrease in R of 1–5%. The measurements performed demonstrate that the typical shapes of the electrical signals provide more information of rheological significance of red blood cell flexibility than the results of viscosity determination alone.     

Entrainment of Intestinal Slow Waves with Electrical Stimulation Using Intraluminal Electrodes

The aim of this study was to investigate whether the intestinal stimulation would be feasible using a less invasive method: intraluminal electrodes. The study was performed in nine healthy hound dogs (15–26 kg). Four pairs of electrodes were implanted on the serosa of the jejunum at an interval of 5 cm with the most proximal pair 35 cm beyond the pylorus. An intestinal fistula was made 20 cm beyond the pylorus. Simultaneous recordings of intestinal myoelectrical activity were made for 2 h in the fasting state from both intraluminal and serosal electrodes. Various pacing parameters were tested. The frequency of the intestinal slow wave recorded from the intraluminal electrodes was identical to that from the serosal electrodes , p < 0.001), and so was the percentage of normal 17–22 cycles/min waves (95.8±33.9% vs 98.16±1.33%, r=0.96, p<0.01).p < 0.01). A complete entrainment of the intestinal slow wave was achieved in every dog with electrical stimulation using intraluminal ring electrodes. The effective pacing parameters were pulse width of 70 ms, amplitude of 4 mA and frequency of 1.1 IF (intrinsic frequency). The time required for the entrainment of the intestinal slow wave with intraluminal pacing was 25.0±2.1s. The maximum driven frequency was found to be 1.43±0.01 IF. The results reveal that intraluminal pacing is an effective and efficient method for the entrainment of intestinal slow waves. It may become a potential approach for the treatment of intestinal motor disorders associated with myoelectrical abnormalities. © 2000 Biomedical Engineering Society. PAC00: 8754Dt, 8719Ff, 8717Nn     

Demonstration of an inwardly rectifying K+ current component modulated by thyrotropin-releasing hormone and caffeine in GH3 rat anterior pituitary cells

 Reduction of an inwardly rectifying K⁺ current by thyrotropin-releasing hormone (TRH) and caffeine has been considered to be an important determinant of electrical activity increases in GH₃ rat anterior pituitary cells. However, the existence of an inwardly rectifying K⁺ current component was recently regarded as a misidentification of an M-like outward current, proposed to be the TRH target in pituitary cells, including GH₃ cells. In this report, an inwardly rectifying component of K⁺ current is indeed demonstrated in perforated-patch voltage-clamped GH₃ cells. The degree of rectification varied from cell to cell, but both TRH and caffeine specifically blocked a fraction of current with strong rectification in the hyperpolarizing direction. Use of ramp pulses to continuously modify the membrane potential demonstrated a prominent blockade even in cells with no current reduction at voltages at which M-currents are active. Depolarization steps to positive voltages at the maximum of the inward current induced a caffeine-sensitive instantaneous outward current followed by a single exponential decay. The magnitude of this current was modified in a biphasic way according to the duration of the previous hyperpolarization step. The kinetic characteristics of the current are compatible with the possibility that removal from inactivation of a fast-inactivating delayed rectifier causes the hyperpolarization-induced current. Furthermore, the inwardly rectifying current was blocked by astemizole, a potent and selective inhibitor of human ether-á-go-go -related gene (HERG) K⁺ channels. Along with other pharmacological and kinetic evidence, this indicates that the secretagogue-regulated current is probably mediated by a HERG-like K⁺ channel. Addition of astemizole to current-clamped cells induced clear increases in the frequency of action potential production. Thus, an inwardly-rectifying K⁺ current and not an M-like outward current seems to be involved in TRH and caffeine modulation of electrical activity in GH₃ cells. Received: 15 May 1997 / Received after revision and accepted: 24 July 1997