Modelling the Effect of Ephaptic Coupling on Spike Propagation in Peripheral Nerve Fibres

0557866 - ÚI 2023 RIV DE eng J - Článek v odborném periodiku
Schmidt, Helmut - Knösche, T. R.
Modelling the Effect of Ephaptic Coupling on Spike Propagation in Peripheral Nerve Fibres.
Biological Cybernetics. Roč. 116, č. 4 (2022), s. 461-473. ISSN 0340-1200. E-ISSN 1432-0770
Institucionální podpora: RVO:67985807
Klíčová slova: Peripheral nerves * Ephaptic coupling * Spike propagation * Synchronisation
Obor OECD: Applied mathematics
Impakt faktor: 1.9, rok: 2022
Způsob publikování: Open access
http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s00422-022-00934-9

Experimental and theoretical studies have shown that ephaptic coupling leads to the synchronisation and slowing down of spikes propagating along the axons within peripheral nerve bundles. However, the main focus thus far has been on a small number of identical axons, whereas realistic peripheral nerve bundles contain numerous axons with different diameters. Here, we present a computationally efficient spike propagation model, which captures the essential features of propagating spikes and their ephaptic interaction, and facilitates the theoretical investigation of spike volleys in large, heterogeneous fibre bundles. We first lay out the theoretical basis to describe how the spike in an active axon changes the membrane potential of a passive axon. These insights are then incorporated into the spike propagation model, which is calibrated with a biophysically realistic model based on Hodgkin-Huxley dynamics. The fully calibrated model is then applied to fibre bundles with a large number of axons and different types of axon diameter distributions. One key insight of this study is that the heterogeneity of the axonal diameters has a dispersive effect, and that a higher level of heterogeneity requires stronger ephaptic coupling to achieve full synchronisation between spikes.
Trvalý link: http://hdl.handle.net/11104/0331713