Functional electrical stimulation is the most important application in the field of clinical treatment with currents or magnetism. This technique artificially generates neural activity in order to overcome lost functions of the paralized, incontinent or sensory handicapped patient. Electricity and magnetism is also used in many cases, e.g., to stimulate bone growth or wound healing. Nevertheless, the basic mechanism of the artificial excitation of nerve and muscle fibers has become known only in the last few years. Although many textbooks are concerned with the natural excitation process...

Electrical stimulation of the nervous system plays a major role in medicine and rehabilitation. Muscles can be stimulated to avoid disuse, impaired function can be improved by targeted stimulation of certain nerves, and brain and spinal cord function can be researched. To appropriately apply these techniques, it is essential to understand the underlying mechanisms involved in the artificial activation of the central and peripheral nervous system by electrical stimulation. This book elaborates on the development and comparison of nerve fiber models which describe the influence of the...