Electrophysiological Studies in Newly Diagnosed Cases of Hypothyroidism

Abstract

Objectives: The aim of present study was to assess the electrophysiological alterations of some selected variables of nerve conduction, brainstem auditory evoked potentials (BAEP) and visual evoked potentials (VEP) in hypothyroid patients. Materials and Methods: The study included sixty newly diagnosed hypothyroidism patients and an equal number of age-matched controls. Both hypothyroid patients and controls had nerve conduction examinations that included latencies, conduction velocities, and amplitude of motor nerves such as the median, ulnar, common peroneal, and tibial nerves, as well as sensory nerves such as the median and sural nerves. Further, brainstem auditory evoked potentials (BAEPs) and visual evoked potentials (VEPs) of all the subjects were done. The data was compiled and statistically analysed to observe any electrophysiological alerations in hypothyroid patients as compared to healthy subjects. Results: In hypothyroid individuals, there was a statistically significant increase in latency of the median, ulnar, tibial, and sural nerves, as well as a drop in conduction velocities of all the tested nerves and a drop in amplitude of the median, tibial, and sural nerves. In hypothyroid individuals, there was a statistically significant rise in latencies, interpeak latencies, and decreases in amplitudes of BAEP waves, as well as a statistically significant rise in P100 delay of VEP. Conclusion: Our findings imply that peripheral and central neuropathy develops early in hypothyroidism patients, and that electrophysiological examinations of such individuals can aid in the early diagnosis and treatment of neurological problems caused by thyroid hormone insufficiency.