Abstract
Slowing of sensory nerve conduction is an unexplained finding in patients with sporadic
amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). To study the frequency of these abnormalities
and to study if a predisposition to the development of entrapment neuropathies is
causal, 23 patients with definite ALS and 23 age-matched healthy volunteers were investigated
prospectively. Antidromic sensory and motor nerve conduction velocities (NCVs) were
measured in ulnar and median nerves. Median sensory NCV was abnormally low in three
patients if compared with the lower limit of the control group; and median sensory
NCV was abnormally low in nine patients (six right, eight left hands) if compared
with ipsilateral ulnar sensory NCV. Sensory nerve conduction data did not correlate
with clinical findings, such as forearm weakness or usage of canes. Motor nerve conduction
data did not correlate with sensory nerve conduction data, with the exception of distal
motor latency of right median nerves, which correlated with right median sensory NCV.
Our findings show how affection of sensory fibers of distal segments of median nerves
can be detected in individual patients with ALS. Nerve entrapment may contribute to
this affection, but it is not the only cause. This should be considered in discussions
about diagnostic criteria for ALS.
Keywords
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Article info
Publication history
Accepted:
December 3,
1998
Received in revised form:
November 25,
1998
Received:
February 27,
1998
Identification
Copyright
© 1999 Elsevier Science B.V. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
