Journal of Neurophysiology, Vol 59, Issue 4 1286-1295, Copyright © 1988 by APS

ARTICLES

Differential conduction at axonal bifurcations. II. Theoretical basis

N. Stockbridge
Department of Surgery, Mackenzie Health Sciences Centre, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Canada.

1. Numerical methods are employed to describe unbranched and branched axons like those employed in the previous paper (13). The model axon consists of a set of conical-section membrane patches having identical Hodgkin-Huxley (6) properties and which are connected by a finite-difference approximation to the cable equation (7). 2. Frequency-dependent differential conduction is shown to occur in both unbranched and branched axons in the model, much as observed experimentally. 3. The effect is shown to occur when one limb is electrically shorter than another and results from differences in the way in which axial current entering such branches is distributed between membrane area near the bifurcation and membrane area far away.

This article has been cited by other articles:

				D. M. Cain, P. W. Wacnik, M. Turner, G. Wendelschafer-Crabb, W. R. Kennedy, G. L. Wilcox, and D. A. Simone Functional Interactions between Tumor and Peripheral Nerve: Changes in Excitability and Morphology of Primary Afferent Fibers in a Murine Model of Cancer Pain J. Neurosci., December 1, 2001; 21(23): 9367 - 9376. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				L. Zhou and S. Y. Chiu Computer Model for Action Potential Propagation Through Branch Point in Myelinated Nerves J Neurophysiol, January 1, 2001; 85(1): 197 - 210. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]