VARIATION IN CONDUCTION-VELOCITY DURING THE RELATIVE REFRACTORY AND SUPERNORMAL PERIODS - MECHANISM FOR IMPULSE ENTRAINMENT IN CENTRAL AXONS

Interspike intervals were studied for impulses propagating during the relative refractory or early supernormal periods along axons of visual cortical efferent neurons in the rabbit. Although the impulses were initiated for a range of initial interstimulus intervals, the interspike intervals were locked at a constant value after propagation. This interval (the entrainment interval) corresponded in time to the duration of the refractory period. We suggest that the spatial and temporal properties of impulse recovery result in the independence of interspike interval from interstimulus interval after conduction through the relative refractory or early supernormal periods. © 1979.