Long-term peripheral nerve and muscle recordings from normal and dystrophic mice.

A method for long-term recording of electrical activity from small mammalian nerves and muscles is described. Electrodes for stimulating and recording activity were implanted on nerves and muscles subserving ankle flexion and extension in normal and dystrophic mice. Activity was monitored on a regular basis for up to 200 days following implantation. Neural compound action potentials, compound EMG potentials and twitch tension were recorded. Shortly after implantation, evoked EMG and twitch tension declined, but recovered progressively to values measured at the time of implantation and subsequently remained steady in normal mice. However, while dystrophic mice did recover, with EMG levels reaching 50-60% of the values recorded at implantation, tension eventually dropped to 10% in flexor muscles and 25% in extensors.