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Central Role of Subthreshold Currents in Myotonia
Author(s) -
Metzger Sabrina,
Dupont Chris,
Voss Andrew A.,
Rich Mark M.
Publication year - 2020
Publication title -
annals of neurology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 4.764
H-Index - 296
eISSN - 1531-8249
pISSN - 0364-5134
DOI - 10.1002/ana.25646
Subject(s) - subthreshold conduction , neuroscience , myotonia , membrane potential , action (physics) , ion channel , physics , resting potential , biophysics , medicine , chemistry , voltage , psychology , biology , quantum mechanics , myotonic dystrophy , receptor , transistor
It is generally thought that muscle excitability is almost exclusively controlled by currents responsible for generation of action potentials. We propose that smaller ion channel currents that contribute to setting the resting potential and to subthreshold fluctuations in membrane potential can also modulate excitability in important ways. These channels open at voltages more negative than the action potential threshold and are thus termed subthreshold currents. As subthreshold currents are orders of magnitude smaller than the currents responsible for the action potential, they are hard to identify and easily overlooked. Discovery of their importance in regulation of excitability opens new avenues for improved therapy for muscle channelopathies and diseases of the neuromuscular junction. ANN NEUROL 2020;87:175–183