Visualization of signal propagation from sciatic nerve to spinal cord in canine

The neuroelectric activity that ascends the sciatic nerve and moves to the spinal cord was visualized by measuring the magnetic compound action fields (CAFs) with a superconducting quantum interference device gradiometer. The sciatic nerve of a dog was stimulated electrically, and propagating evoked CAFs were measured non-invasively. Isomagnetic field maps were made on the basis of this data, and the signal propagation was visualized. The evoked magnetic fields presented a quadrupole consisting of two elements: depolari zation and repolarization. Measuring the magnetic CAFs of the sciatic nerve on the body surface enabled us to visualize the non-invasively the signal movement continuously from the sciatic nerve to the spinal cord. (C) 2001 E lsevier Science Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.