Introduction: Low-intensity electrical stimuli of digital nerves may generate a double peak potential (DPp), composed of a cathodal (caAP) and an anodal (anAP) potential in orthodromic recordings.
Methods: We studied the effects on caAP and anAP of stimuli of variable intensity, duration, and frequency. We also applied a conditioning stimulus to study potential differences in recovery time.
Results: The anAP was obtained in 33 of 40 healthy subjects (82.5%) and 4 of 20 patients with various types of sensory neuropathies (20%). Changes in stimulus duration and intensity had reciprocal effects on the amplitude of the anAP and the caAP. There were significant differences in recovery time between caAP and anAP after a conditioning stimulus.
Conclusion: The caAP and anAP are 2 interdependent waveforms generated by different effects of the same stimulus over axons at the verge of depolarization. Muscle Nerve 53: 897-905, 2016.
Keywords: anodal potential; axonal membrane excitability; break excitation; sensory nerve action potential; submaximal nerve stimulation.
© 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.