Subtle paranodal injury slows impulse conduction in a mathematical model of myelinated axons.

ABSTRACT: This study explores in detail the functional consequences of subtle retraction and detachment of myelin around the nodes of Ranvier following mild-to-moderate crush or stretch mediated injury. An equivalent electrical circuit model for a series of equally spaced nodes of Ranvier was created incorporating extracellular and axonal resistances, paranodal resistances, nodal capacitances, time varying sodium and potassium currents, and realistic resting and threshold membrane potentials in a myelinated axon segment of 21 successive nodes. Differential equations describing membrane potentials at each nodal region were solved numerically. Subtle injury was simulated by increasing the width of exposed nodal membrane in nodes 8 through 20 of the model. Such injury diminishes action potential amplit

SUBMITTER: Babbs CF 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC3701069 | biostudies-literature | 2013

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature