Axonal flip-flops and oscillators

The strange and unpleasant sensations (paraesthesiae) or asynchronous motor-unit activation (fasciculation) that result from a period of limb ischaemia are examples of ectopic discharge in peripheral nerves. Ectopic activity also results from demyelination and is associated with serious neurological conditions, such as multiple sclerosis. A build-up of extracellular K+ in the internode and persistent Na+ currents are now implicated in generating the different forms of activity arising in normal and demyelinated axons.