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Journal of Experimental Biology 46,63-84 (1967)
Published by Company of Biologists 1967

Conduction Velocities and Their Temperature Coefficients in Sensory Nerve Fibres of Cockroach Legs

K. M. CHAPMAN ¹ and J. H. PANKHURST ²

¹ Department of Physiology, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada; Division of Biological and Medical Sciences, Brown University, Providence, R.I., U.S.A.
² Department of Physiology, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada

1. Conduction velocities of individual afferent nerve fibres from tactile spines and proprioceptive campaniform sensilla have been measured in situ over the temperature range 5-42° C., in leg preparations of the cockroach Periplaneta americana.

2. Conduction velocities at 20° C. (u₂₀) averaged 3.3±1.4 m./sec., ranging from 1.6 to 11.0 m./sec.

3. Temperature coefficients, expressed as Q₁₀ for the interval 20-30° C., averaged 1.7±0.24, ranging from 1.3 to 2.6.

4. The length of the propagated disturbance is about 2-3 mm., and is nearly temperature-independent.

5. Fibre diameters, estimated from conduction velocity, must be about 10 µ.

6. There is no correlation between conduction velocity and distance from the sensillum to the thoracic ganglion. Conduction delays in fibres conducting within one standard deviation of mean u₂₀ range from about 2 to 15 msec., from the most proximal to the most distal tactile spines.

7. The effect of conduction delay on temporal and spatial sensory encoding is probably unimportant from a behavioural point of view. It contributes a factor of the form exp(-sd/u) to the sensory transfer function, and may be appreciable at upper physiological frequencies of impulse frequency modulation.

Note:

Supported by grant MA 760 of the Medical Research Council of Canada.

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