Influence of unit distance and conduction velocity on the spectra of extracellular action potentials recorded with intrafascicular electrodes

The use of highly selective penetrating electrodes yields multi-unit extracellular action potential (AP) recordings of the nerve fibers in the vicinity of the electrode. Accessing the information carried within the neural data stream further requires discrimination and separation of the multi-unit recording into their constituent multiple single unit spike trains. Shape differences in the single fiber action potentials (SFAPs) are typically used as the criteria for unit separation. The present paper explores the origins of the shape differences through analysis of the SFAP in the frequency domain. We present the derivation and computational model predictions of a method to quantitatively analyse changes in the spectral components of SFAPs with an axially located intrafascicular electrode with non-radially symmetrical sensitivity function. A spatial tissue filter relationship was derived using reciprocity equations in the spatial frequency domain and transformed to time frequency. A three dimensional bioelectrical volume conductor finite element model of a recording electrode residing in a nerve fascicle was developed to explore the potential distribution in the nerve fascicle and further derive the electrode–fiber coupling function in the time-frequency domain. It was found that the spectral distribution of the SFAP was multimodal in nature, similar to empirical reported earlier, and could be predicted by taking the single fiber action currents (SFACs) filtered by the electrode–fiber coupling function. This function manifested itself as a low-pass filter of the SFAC, dependent upon the fiberʹs location relative to the electrode and conduction velocity. Analysis of the spectral distribution revealed that changes in the landmarks of the distribution could be related to the fiber location and conduction velocity. Moreover, a consistent relationship was found when exploring the distribution of fibers located off the one axis of symmetry.