| Sensory and motor axons are different: implications for neurological disease |
David Burke1, James Howells2 
, and Matthew C. Kiernan1,2 |
1Department of Neurology, Royal Prince Alfred Hospital, University of Sydney, Sydney, Australia
2Brain and Mind Centre, University of Sydney, Sydney, Australia |
| Corresponding Author:
David Burke ,Tel: +61-2-9036-3090, Fax: +61-2-9036-3092, Email: david.burke@sydney.edu.au |
|
Received September 6, 2016 Accepted September 15, 2016 |
| Copyright © 2017 The Korean Society of Clinical Neurophysiology |
| This is an Open Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution Non-Commercial License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0) which permits unrestricted non-commercial use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium,
provided the original work is properly cited. |
| ABSTRACT |
|
Using threshold tracking, differences have been established between large myelinated sensory and α motor axons in humans. Major differences are that sensory axons are relatively depolarised at rest such that they have a greater persistent Na+ current, and have greater activity of hyperpolarisation-activated cyclic nucleotide-gated (HCN) channels. Sensory axons may thereby be protected from hyperpolarising stresses, and are less likely to develop conduction block. However, the corollary is that sensory axons are more excitable and more likely to become ectopically active. |
| Key words:
Axonal excitability; Threshold tracking; Sensory axons; Motor axons; Conduction block |
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