Nerve, muscle, and neuromuscular junction electrophysiology at high temperature

✍ Scribed by Seward B. Rutkove; Milind J. Kothari; Jeremy M. Shefner

• Publisher: John Wiley and Sons
• Year: 1997
• Tongue: English
• Weight: 292 KB
• Volume: 20
• Category: Article
• ISSN: 0148-639X
• DOI: 10.1002/(sici)1097-4598(199704)20:4<431::aid-mus5>3.0.co;2-b

✦ Synopsis

Although the effect of low temperature on the peripheral nervous system has been systematically studied, the effect of high temperature has not. We investigated the effect of elevating limb temperature from 32ЊC to 42ЊC by performing sequential motor studies, antidromic sensory studies, and 3-Hz repetitive stimulation in normal subjects. In addition, we recorded single motor units by using threshold stimulation. On average, motor amplitude and duration decreased by 27% and 19%, respectively, whereas sensory amplitude and duration decreased by 50% and 26%, respectively. Neuromuscular transmission remained normal at 42ЊC. Single motor unit recordings revealed a reduction in amplitude of 26%, similar to the overall reduction in compound motor amplitude. These findings demonstrate that significant reductions in sensory and motor amplitudes can occur in normal nerves at high temperature; we hypothesize that these changes are secondary to alterations in nerve and muscle ion channel function.