RECOVERY OF RESPONSIVENESS IN MOTOR AND SENSORY FIBERS DURING THE RELATIVE REFRACTORY PERIOD

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Abstract
In bullfrogs, recovery of responsiveness (height of spike) during the relative refractory period was always much slower in sensory fibers including the spinal ganglion than in motor fibers. The sensory and the motor curves attained 90% recovery within about 0.8 and 4.0 msec. respectively after the end of absolute refractoriness. In dorsal roots without ganglia, however, responsiveness recovered at the same rate as in ventral roots. The passage of the impulse through the ganglion modifies the responsiveness of the fibers beyond the ganglion. In cats, recovery of responsiveness was slower in general (avg. temp. in moist chamber 31[degree]C!) and no influence of the spinal ganglion was observed. In both bullfrogs and cats conduction velocity recovered at the same rate in sensory fibers including the spinal ganglion and in motor fibers. Acetyl-choline had no observable effect upon recovery of responsiveness. The subnormal period is apparently a late continuation of the relative refractory period (cf. Gasser, 1937).

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