Affiliations: [a] Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, University of Tabriz, Tabriz, Iran | [b] Neuroscience Research Center, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz, Iran | [c] Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation Research Center, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz, Iran
Correspondence:
[*]
Corresponding author: Hamed Taghipour-Farshi, Department of Electrical and computer Engineering, University of Tabriz, Room #145, Blvd. 29 Bahman, Tabriz, Iran. Tel.: +98 9143016745; Fax: +98 4135517765; E-mail:h.taghipour@tabrizu.ac.ir
Abstract: BACKGROUND:
Nerve cuff electrodes provide a safe technique for recording nerve signals.
Defining a more realized modeling to investigate the selectivity of a cuff
electrode in recording from peripheral nervous system is an interesting
field of research. METHODS:
A four-contact cuff electrode was modeled to evaluate selective recording
from a peripheral nerve. Fitzhugh-Nagumo equations were used to model the
electromagnetic fields generated by active nerves and electrodes and the
``selectivity index'' used to quantify the selective property of the cuff
electrode. RESULTS:
The action potentials amplitude and impulse velocity generated by
Fitzhugh-Nagumo model are similar to real-life nerve measurements according
to the literature. The electrical field distribution caused by the impulse
propagation along a specific nerve was the maximum near the corresponding
contact. Also, the selectivity was increased with increasing the distance
between the active sources and the number of contacts. CONCLUSION:
The results of this research showed that Fitzhugh-Nagumo equations could
model the nerve excitation accurately and could be used in computer
simulation for studying nervous systems. Also, using these equations
indicated that multi-contact cuff electrodes could be used in recording
peripheral nerve signals in order to discriminate active fascicles in a
nerve bundle.
