Simulation study of neural damage induced by different stimulus waveforms

Based on the McNeal cable model, taking the myelinated nerve fiber with limited length as the research object, the aim of this paper is to simulate nerve conduction block induced by functional electrical stimulation (FES) and then investigate the block regularity, we also compared the degree of neural damage induced by high frequency symmetry biphasic pulses and intermittent biphasic pulses. In our simulation, we selected the axon whose diameter was 10μm, the test current intensity was 0.5mA and the temperature was 37°C. The results showed that under each frequency (6KHz, 7KHz, 8KHz, 9KHz, 10KHz, 15KHz), the two waveforms´ stimulus intensity needed to block the propagation of action potential were similar. In the case that every other condition was the same, symmetric biphasic pulses caused a greater neural damage than intermittent biphasic pulses. This simulation study could provide more information for animal experiments as well as clinical applications of electrical nerve block.