Improved nerve cuff electrode recordings by sub-threshold anodic currents

Computer simulations indicate that the propagation velocity of action potentials in a length of a nerve axon can be decreased by sub-threshold extracellular anodic currents. This phenomenon can be used to increase the amplitude of whole nerve recordings made with a short cuff electrode with circumferencial metal bands, since larger propagation delays between the bands result in larger recorded signals. Computer simulations predicting the slowing effect of anodic currents and experimental data verifying the simulations are presented. The increase in the amplitude of nerve signals (fivefold), recorded experimentally from a short cuff, is demonstrated