A biophysical model for treating damaged nerves with electromagnetic stimulation

Investigating the effects of external stimulation on human axons is of interest in both biological physics and biomedical engineering. Myelinated axons with the spinal afferent neuron are activated by low-intensity innocuous stimuli, to which they should not be responsive, to release inflammatory neuropeptides into the spinal cord and sensitize the central nervous system in a process also known as central sensitization, that is seen in multiple medical conditions, including diabetic gastroparesis. When these myelinated neurons of diabetic gastroparesis patients are treated with an electromagnetic signal at an inhibitory low-frequency, symptoms of diabetic gastroparesis improve. It is hypothesized that central sensitization reverses, however, there is little research concerning the mechanism behind this transformative occurrence. Understanding these mechanisms may provide insight into various ongoing medical problems responsive to repetitive magnetic stimulation. To investigate this, we combine the frequency dependent cable equation with the Richardson-McIntyre-Grill model to elucidate why nerve damaged patients have a positive clinical outcome when repeatedly exposed to an electromagnetic stimulus.