Analysis of nerve conduction velocity and quantitative sensory test in patients with early diabetic peripheral neuropathy

Abstract

Objective To observe the characteristics of electro-neurophysiology in diabetic patients with early peripheral neuropathy. Method The nerve conduction velocity ( NCV ) and quantitative sensory test (QST) were examined in 175 diabetic patients without clinical peripheral neuropathy and in 50 normal subjects, and their results were compared. Results In 175 diabetic patients, the abnormal ratio of NCV was 7% (13/175).While using QST,the abnormal ratio was 45% (79/175). There was significant difference between two methods (P 0.05 ).While using QST, the threshold values of cold sensation, warm sensation, and thermalgesia showed significant difference between diabetic patients and normal subjects (P< 0.01). Conclusion QST is more sensitive than NCV in diagnosing diabetic peripheral neuropathy, which suggests that small nerve fibers are more likely to be damaged than large fibers in early stage. Key words: Diabetes mellitus; Peripheral nervous system disease; Nerve conduction velocity; Quantitative sensory test