Early Detection of Diabetic Polyneuropathy Using Paired Stimulation Studies of the Sensory Nerves

This study seeks to use the relative refractory period, a sensitive parameter for detecting early change in peripheral polyneuropathies, as a tool for early detection of diabetic polyneuropathy. Design The relative refractory period of the median and sural sensory nerves was measured in 57 diabetic patients (male 31, female 26) and 23 healthy controls (male 16, female 7). The shortest interstimulus interval, where the latency of the response to the second stimulus recovers to normal, was defined as the relative refractory period. Results The relative refractory period of the median and sural nerves were significantly longer in diabetic patients (3.6 msec, P
Source: American Journal of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation - Category: Rehabilitation Tags: Original Research Articles Source Type: research