Fig. 4

Acute rat sciatic nerve stimulation selectivity. A Schematic illustration of sciatic nerve stimulation experimental protocol carried out in both the distal and proximal nerve position, highlighting the anatomical differences between the different positions (top). Photographs (bottom) of soft cuff locked around a rat sciatic nerve distally (left) and proximally (right), with measured average dimensions of nerve locations. B Representative recruitment curves of EMG signals for TA and GM muscles with currents increasing from 0 to 300 μA. C Normalized EMG response as a function of current amplitude. Selectivity window indicates currents which preferentially activate one muscle. D Selectivity index as a function of EMG response. Dashed lines indicate 30% EMG response and 0.6 SI thresholds. E Schematic illustration of soft cuff with 6 channels used for bipolar stimulation and the corresponding selectivity achieved. Dashed lines indicate EMG response and SI thresholds. F Average selectivity current window in the distal proximal position for each muscle, with error bars denoting standard deviation. *p < 0.01, two-sample t-test (n = 5 rats). All data in B-C-D refer to Rat 1, E2-E5, distal position