Abstract
The EEG potentials evoked by stimulation of the dorsal funiculi of the spinal cord were recorded in patients who had electrodes implanted subdurally for self-stimulation for the control of chronic pain. The waveform of these potentials was similar to that evoked by peripheral nerve stimulation; their maximal amplitude was near the vertex (point Cz). The very short latency of the first component of these potentials raises the possibility of the existence of fibers conducting faster than 100 m/ sec in the human spinal cord. Electric stimulation of the dorsal funiculi is unlike stimulation of peripheral nerves in that even very strong and high frequency stimuli do not cause pain, even though they do become distressingly unpleasant. But dorsal funicular stimulation is more like stimulation of peripheral nerves than that of the ventrobasal thalamus or cortex in two respects: stimuli strong enough to evoke an EEG potential are invariably consciously perceived by the subject, even at rates of 1/sec; and the threshold intensities of paresthesias were practically identical for frequencies ranging from 1/sec to 200/sec.
Original language | English |
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Pages (from-to) | 273-287 |
Number of pages | 15 |
Journal | Experimental Neurology |
Volume | 36 |
Issue number | 2 |
DOIs | |
State | Published - Aug 1972 |
Externally published | Yes |