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Research Article

A new viewpoint and model of neural signal generation and transmission: Signal transmission on unmyelinated neurons

Zuoxian Xiang1,2, Chuanxiang Tang2, Chao Chang1( ), Guozhi Liu2( )
Innovation Laboratory of Terahertz Biophysics, National Innovation Institute of Defense Technology, Beijing 100071, China
Department of Engineering Physics, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China
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Abstract

We establish a preliminary model of neural signal generation and transmission based on our previous research, and use this model to study signal transmission on unmyelinated nerves. In our model, the characteristics of neural signals are studied both on a long-time and a short time scale. On the long-time scale, the model is consistent with the circuit model. On the short time scale, the neural system exhibits a THz and infrared electromagnetic oscillation but the energy envelope curve of the rapidly oscillating signal varies slowly. In addition, the numerical method is used to solve the equations of neural signal generation and transmission, and the effects of the temperature on signal transmission are studied. It is found that overly high and overly low temperatures are not conducive to the transmission of neural signals.

Keywords

THzion channelneuron signal generation and conductionunmyelinated neuron

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Nano Research
Volume 14 Issue 3,
March 2021
Pages 590-600
DOI: 10.1007/s12274-020-3016-1
Cite this article:
Xiang Z, Tang C, Chang C, et al. A new viewpoint and model of neural signal generation and transmission: Signal transmission on unmyelinated neurons. Nano Research, 2021, 14(3): 590-600. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12274-020-3016-1
Topics:
Neurons

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Received: 31 May 2020
Revised: 21 July 2020
Accepted: 27 July 2020
Published: 01 March 2021
© Tsinghua University Press and Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany, part of Springer Nature
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