Antidromic conduction

Antidromic Conduction is a type of neural conduction in which an action potential travels along an axon in the direction opposite to the normal or orthodromic conduction. This phenomenon is less common than orthodromic conduction and is typically observed in experimental settings or certain pathological conditions.

Overview

In the nervous system, information typically flows from the cell body of a neuron to its axon terminals via an action potential. This is known as orthodromic conduction. However, under certain circumstances, an action potential can be induced to travel in the opposite direction, from the axon terminals back to the cell body. This is known as antidromic conduction.

Mechanism

Antidromic conduction occurs when an action potential is initiated at the distal end of an axon, the point farthest from the cell body, and travels back towards the cell body. This can occur when an electrical stimulus is applied directly to the axon or when there is a reversal of the normal electrical gradient along the axon.

Clinical Significance

Antidromic conduction plays a significant role in certain neurological conditions. For example, in Wolff-Parkinson-White syndrome, an extra electrical pathway in the heart can lead to episodes of rapid heart rate. In this condition, electrical signals travel down the extra pathway and can then travel back up the normal pathway in an antidromic fashion, creating a "reentrant" circuit and leading to tachycardia.

See Also

• Orthodromic conduction
• Action potential
• Neuron
• Wolff-Parkinson-White syndrome