Epidural spinal cord stimulation: calculation of field potentials with special reference to dorsal column nerve fibers

Abstract

The effect of electrical stimulation with several electrode combinations on nerve fibers with different orientations in the spinal cord was investigated by computing the steady-state field potentials and activating functions. At first an infinite homogeneous model was used while secondly the spinal cord and its surrounding tissues were modeled as an inhomogeneous anisotropic volume conductor. The effect of mediodorsal epidural stimulation was calculated. It was concluded that with cathodal stimulation, mediodorsally in the epidural space, longitudinal fibers are depolarized, but dorsoventral ones are hyperpolarized. With anodal stimulation the opposite will occur. It was found that parameters substantially affecting the potential distribution in the dorsal columns are the conductivity of the white matter and the width and the conductivity of the csf layer.