electrotonus

In physiology, electrotonus refers to the "passive" spread of charge inside a neuron.

For example, ischemia and depolarization cause the same "fanning in" effect of the electrotonus waveforms.

"Threshold electrotonus"

A specific threshold tracking technique is "threshold electrotonus", which uses the threshold tracking set-up to produce long-lasting subthreshold depolarizing or hyperpolarizing currents within a membrane.

The most important factor determining threshold electrotonus is membrane potential, so threshold electrotonus can also be used as an index of membrane potential.

Stimuli too weak to produce a spike do, however, set up a local electrotonus, the magnitude of the electronic potential progressively increasing with the strength of the stimulus, until a spike is generated.

He conducted research on intestinal peristalsis, the sensory functions of the spinal cord, the physiology of electrotonus, protein metabolism and regulation of body temperature by the nervous system, to name a few.

Since the value of a single threshold current provides little valuable information because it varies within and between subjects, pairs of threshold measurements, comparing the control threshold to thresholds produced by refractoriness, supernormality, strength-duration time constant or "threshold electrotonus" are more useful in scientific and clinical study.