Effects of Ultrasound Pulsing on Neural Excitability
Abstract
We have used brief bursts of relatively low intensity ultrasound (US) to alter the excitability of myelinated fibers within the frog sciatic nerve. The magnitude and direction of these changes are critically dependent on the timing of the burst relative to the electrical stimulus and are different for various fiber types and frog species. These effects cannot be emulated using equivalently timed electrical 'pre-stimuli' and cannot be attributed to electrode artifacts. Since temperature rises of less than 0.01 C accompany effective US bursts and the levels are far below those causing cavitation, the effect is thought to be of a direct 'micromechanical' nature. A selective activation or repression of slow conductance channels would, at this juncture, appear to be the most plausible explanation for these effects. Keywords: Nerves, Nerve transmission, Exposure physiology, Radiation effects.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Jun 30, 1988
- Accession Number
- ADA197492
Entities
People
- H. Wachtel
- R. Mihran
Organizations
- University of Colorado Boulder