Nerve conduction velocity (NCV) is often used to measure the relative health of a patient’s nervous system. Diseases that damage myelin sheaths, destroying nerve cell membranes and membrane transport, or constrict nerves cause changes in nerve conduction velocity. Diseases or conditions like carpal tunnel syndrome, traumatic damage, poliomyelitis, diabetic neuropathy, chronic inflammatory polyneuropathy, and Guillain-Barre syndrome cause such changes in NCV.  

In this experiment, the ulnar nerve of a subject will be stimulated and the response of a muscle innervated by the nerve will be recorded as an indicator of nerve conduction. Three aspects of nerve conduction will be studied in this experiment: the relationship between stimulus strength and the amplitude of the nerve/muscle response; the latency of the nerve as a function of the polarity of the stimulus pulse; and the nerve conduction velocity. To measure nerve conduction velocity, the nerve will be stimulated at two different points along its length. Because the distance between the two stimulation points and time difference between muscle responses from those two positions can be measured, the nerve conduction velocity can be calculated.

Download high resolution, press optimized PDF file. 

Download low resolution, screen-optimized PDF file.

In this month’s experiment, the nerve conduction velocity of a human subject is measured.  Please visit our external links page to view a number of related Web sites that discuss the significance of nerve conduction studies.

On this page we have also accumulated a host of links to informative, external physiology Web sites and conveniently categorized them into major sub categories for easy reference.   

Settings for Marieb experiments
Settings for HK256NI experiments
Settings for all experiments from iWorx newsletter

The SI100 is an isolated constant current generator with 100 Volt compliance. It is specifically designed for safe transcutaneous stimulation of muscles and nerves.  Learn more about the SI100 from this tech note.

If you are a first time visitor to the iWorx Users Web page, you can register here, or retrieve a forgotten user name or password here.

In addition to content and background for each exercise, each LabsOnCD module provides an experimental data player that allows the student to actually record real experimental data much as they would do in a physical or “wet” lab setting.  LabsOnCD modules contain detailed setup information about the labs that the student is expected to perform. Setup information includes animations, diagrams, video clips of dissections and photos of actual equipment set-ups. Each module has step-by-step instructions for the student, just as a lab manual would. The student is expected to make measurements from the recorded data and produce a lab report.

See more information, view an online demonstration, and request a free 30-day evaluation copy.