Morphology of action potentials recorded from human nerves using microneurography

This study investigated the morphology of action potentials and the frequency of occurrence of the various waveforms encountered when using microneurography to record single-unit muscle afferent activity in humans. With 75% of the afferents recorded in this study (55 of 73 afferents), action potentials had a double-peaked morphology. For action potentials with an initial, positive double-peaked morphology, the relevant afferent conducts impulses past the microelectrode, with the second peak representing current fluctuations at the node of Ranvier proximal to the electrode. Accordingly, in the majority of recordings, the afferent is capable of conducting impulses to the spinal cord. The mean interpeak interval for these double-peaked units was 168 microseconds (range 90-310 microseconds). This represents marked prolongation of conduction time across the impaled internode. When the interpeak interval was relatively short (90-120 microseconds), the double-peaked morphology could be recognized only if the low-pass filter was high (> or = 10 kHz). The probability of recording a double-peaked unit was the same whether the recording was acquired early or late in a 3-h experiment. Conduction block developed in 6 of 73 single units during the recordings. These findings indicate that the majority of isolated single afferents and, indeed, the majority of afferents within the relevant fascicle are capable of transmitting impulses across the recording site, even though conduction across the impaled internode is slow. Conduction block due to direct injury or pressure is relatively uncommon.