THE ACTION OF ALTERNATING CURRENTS UPON THE SPIKE-POTENTIAL MAGNITUDE, CONDUCTION VELOCITY AND POLARIZATION OF NERVE

Abstract

Applications of alternating currents (a.c.) to nerves result in a decrease of the amplitude of the spike potential at and in the neighborhood of the a.c. poles. The conduction velocity of nerve is slowed by a.c. The demarcation potential is either decreased or, less commonly, increased by a.c. These several changes and those of electrical excitability may occur independently. The data are discussed from the standpoint of the problem of the actions of electric currents on nerves and from that of the problem of the functional relationship between the demarcation potential, the spike-potential amplitude and the electrical excitability of nerve.