Transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS) has been widely used for sensory feedback which
is a key consideration of improving the performance of prosthetic hands. Two-electrode discriminability is the
key to realize high-spatial-resolution TENS, but the neural firing mechanism is not clear yet. The goal of this
research is to investigate the neural firing patterns under two-electrode stimulation and to reveal the potential
mechanisms. A three-dimensional (3D) model is established by incorporating Aβ fiber neuron clusters into a
layered forearm structure. The diameters of the stimulating electrodes are selected as 5, 7, 9 and 12 mm, and the
two-electrode discrimination distance (TEDD) is quantified. It is found that a distant TEDD is obtained for a
relatively large electrode size, and 7mm is suggested to be the optimal diameter of stimulating electrodes. The
present study reveals the neural firing patterns under two-electrode stimulation by the 3D TENS model. In order
to discriminate individual electrodes under simultaneous stimulation, no crosstalk of activated Aβ fibers exists
between two electrodes. This research can further guide the optimization of the electrode-array floorplan.
YE Shuan (叶栓), ZHU Kaihua (祝凯华), LI Peng (李鹏), SUI Xiaohong (隋晓红)
. Neural Firing Mechanism Underlying Two-Electrode Discrimination by 3D Transcutaneous Electrical Nerve Stimulation Computational Model[J]. Journal of Shanghai Jiaotong University(Science), 2019
, 24(6)
: 716
-722
.
DOI: 10.1007/s12204-019-2134-y
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