Variable differences of nerve conduction amplitudes versus velocities and distal latencies of healthy subjects assessed in ethnic cohorts

• Published in: Muscle & nerve Vol. 65; no. 2; pp. 162 - 170
• Main Authors: Alhammad, Reem, Davies, Jenny, Litchy, William J., Carter, Rickey, Dyck, P. James B., Dyck, Peter J.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Hoboken, USA John Wiley & Sons, Inc 01.02.2022; Wiley Subscription Services, Inc
• Subjects: Action potential; Action Potentials - physiology; Amplitudes; compound muscle action potential; Epidemiology; Ethnic factors; Evaluation; Fibers; Healthy Volunteers; Humans; Muscles; Nerve conduction; nerve conduction velocity; nerve conductions in health; Nerve Fibers; Neural Conduction - physiology; Polyneuropathies; Polyneuropathy; Regression analysis; Sensorimotor system; sensory nerve action potential; Sensory neurons; Variables; variables influencing nerve conductions; Velocity; compound muscle action potential; nerve conductions in health; variables influencing nerve conductions; nerve conduction velocity; sensory nerve action potential
• ISSN: 0148-639X; 1097-4598; 1097-4598
• DOI: 10.1002/mus.27418

Variable differences of nerve conduction amplitudes vs velocities and distal latencies (DLs) of healthy subjects assessed in ethnic cohorts. Introduction/Aims The variables affecting reference compound muscle (CMAP) and sensory nerve action potential (SNAP) amplitudes as compared to ones affecting conduction velocities and DLs have not been adequately evaluated in previous studies. In this report, this subject is studied in healthy subject cohorts mainly of Northern European extraction, Northern Plains Indians, and Latinos. Methods Nineteen variables and 18 attributes of nerve conductions (NCs) were assessed using highly standard testing conditions and techniques. Classification and Regression Tree analyses were used to assess variable differences among amplitudes, conduction velocities, and DLs. Results The most important variable affecting CMAP and SNAP amplitudes was age. For conduction velocities (CVs) and DLs, the variables were height, ethnic cohort, and age. Discussion The variables affecting attributes of NCs were similar for the three ethnic cohorts evaluated. The differences of variables affecting amplitudes compared to CVs and DLs need to be taken into account in interpretation of NC results and in setting reference limits for use in medical practice, epidemiology surveys, and therapeutic trials. Scores of CMAP and SNAP amplitudes are suitable measures of sensorimotor polyneuropathy severity, whereas conduction velocities and DLs reflect physiologic/pathologic abnormality of nerve fibers. see Editorial on pages 133–134 in this issue.