Effect of stimulation with impulse trains of various patterns, including adaptational type, on frog's nerve-muscle and spinal reflex preparations.

The train of discharge in the nerve in the integrated nervous function is known to have a variable pattern. The question still remains open as to whether the pattern of discharge sequence plays some role like a word in communciation. The present study aimed to investigate the relationship between stimuli with various sequences and responses. The intermittent, intercalated and adaptational types of stimulation were given to the efferent or afferent nerves, and the tension of muscles of a nerve-muscle or a spinal reflex preparations of frogs was recorded. Enhancement of tension was observed when the appropriate intermittent or intercalated stimulation was applied. In the nerve-muscle preparation, this effect was made clearly detectable when the nerve-muscle preparation was equilibrated with calcium-deficient Ringer solution. An appropriate type of adaptational stimulation evoked a rapid and long-lasting tension development which may be of physiological meaning in emergency. This fact may give a guide when man stimulates the nerve to examine the response.