rightside/leftside symmetry in peripheral neuropathy research

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Abstract from Neurophysiol Clin. 2003 Sep;33(4):185-95.

[symmetry and temporal variability of neurography]

[Article in French]

Bouquiaux O, Horward A, Wang FC.

Departement d'electroneuromyographie, service de medecine de l'appareil

locomoteur, CHU Sart-Tilman, batiment B35, 4000, Liege, Belgique

The aims of the present study are to document side-to-side differences

and temporal variability, between two trials (T1 and T2 at a time

interval of 3 months) of nerve conduction measurements collected from 30

healthy subjects (mean age 22 +/- 2 years).Methods. - The protocol at T1

consisted of motor nerve conduction studies of median, ulnar, peroneal

and tibial nerves bilaterally, with measurement of (a) motor response

size (amplitude and area); ( terminal latency; © minimal, mean and

maximal F-wave latency; (d) motor conduction velocity; and (e) F-wave

occurrence. T1 also involved sensory nerve conduction studies of median,

ulnar, radial, lateral and medial

cutaneous, sural and superficial peroneal nerves bilaterally,

with measurement of sensory potential size (amplitude and

area) and computation of sensory conduction velocity. The protocol at T2

consisted of identical measurements from the dominant side.Results and

conclusion. - There was a negative relationship between the

variability of parameters evaluating nervous conduction and the length

of the nerve segment under study. Thus, the smallest side-to-side and

temporal variabilities are measured for minimal F-wave latencies (on

average 2-3%). The limits of symmetry and temporal variability are

particularly useful for diagnosis of unilateral peripheral neuropathy or

neurophysiological follow-up of patients with neuropathy, when the

variability of the parameter under study is weak and when there is a

high correlation between values recorded on the left and on the right or

at T1 and T2. This was the case for motor response size of tibial and

ulnar nerves, sensory potential size of radial nerve and minimal F-wave

latencies from each studied motor nerve.