A model of the electrical behaviour of myelinated sensory nerve fibres based on human data

Calculation of the response of human myelinated sensory nerve fibres to spi nal cord stimulation initiated the development of a fibre model based on el ectrophysiological and morphometric data for human sensory nerve fibres. Th e model encompasses a mathematical description of the kinetics of the nodal membrane, and a non-linear fibre geometry. Fine tuning of only a few, not well-established parameters was performed by fitting the shape of a propaga ting action potential and its diameter-dependent propagation velocity. The quantitative behaviour of this model corresponds better to experimentally d etermined human fibre properties than other mammalian, nonhuman models do. Typical characteristics, such as the shape of the action potential, the pro pagation velocity and the strength-duration behaviour show a good fit with experimental data, The introduced diameter-dependent parameters did not res ult in a noticeable diameter dependency of action potential duration and re fractory period. The presented model provides an improved tool to analyse t he electrical behaviour of human myelinated sensory nerve fibres.