Shimatani Yoshimitsu, Nodera Hiroyuki, Kaji Ryuji
Department of Neurology, Tokushima University Hospital, Tokushima, Japan.
Brain Nerve. 2011 Jun;63(6):531-8.
Nerve excitability has been studied for a longer time than has nerve conduction. Prof. Joseph Bergmans pioneered the use of threshold current measurement for studying axonal excitability. However nerve excitability testing has not been used because of technical difficulties. Prof. Hugh Bostock developed a semiautomatic program called QTRAC. This program enables the examiner to perform various nerve excitability tests within 15 min. Nerve excitability testing can provide information regarding physiological conditions, ion channels and the functions of energy-dependent pumps in normal controls and in individuals with diseases such as amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and multifocal motor neuropathy (MMN). For understanding threshold tracking, information regarding basic physiological principles including the function of ion channels is required. This review provides important insights on the function of axonal ion channels and investigational methods.
对神经兴奋性的研究比对神经传导的研究时间更长。约瑟夫·伯格曼斯教授率先使用阈电流测量来研究轴突兴奋性。然而，由于技术困难，神经兴奋性测试尚未得到应用。休·博斯托克教授开发了一个名为QTRAC的半自动程序。该程序使检查人员能够在15分钟内进行各种神经兴奋性测试。神经兴奋性测试可以提供有关正常对照以及患有肌萎缩侧索硬化症（ALS）和多灶性运动神经病（MMN）等疾病的个体的生理状况、离子通道和能量依赖性泵功能的信息。为了理解阈值跟踪，需要有关包括离子通道功能在内的基本生理原理的信息。这篇综述提供了关于轴突离子通道功能和研究方法的重要见解。
