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Nerve conduction velocities of single thenar motor axons based on the automated analysis of F waves in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis
Author(s) -
Felice Kevin J.
Publication year - 1998
Publication title -
muscle and nerve
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.025
H-Index - 145
eISSN - 1097-4598
pISSN - 0148-639X
DOI - 10.1002/(sici)1097-4598(199806)21:6<756::aid-mus7>3.0.co;2-6
Subject(s) - amyotrophic lateral sclerosis , medicine , motor unit , nerve conduction velocity , forearm , electromyography , median nerve , f wave , motor nerve , cardiology , electrodiagnosis , anatomy , physical medicine and rehabilitation , disease
The motor unit number estimate (MUNE), motor unit size, and conduction velocity (CV) of thenar surface‐recorded motor unit action potentials (S‐MUAPs) as collected by the automated F‐wave technique were analyzed in 13 patients with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) (aged 29–78 years, mean: 61) and 10 age‐matched normal subjects (aged 49–81 years, mean: 64). Totals of 96 and 100 thenar S‐MUAPs were collected from ALS patients and normal subjects, respectively. There were significant differences ( P < 0.001) in the mean estimated numbers and sizes of motor units between the ALS patients (MUNE: 41.9, S‐MUAP size: 699.6 μV/ms) and normal subjects (MUNE: 151.2, S‐MUAP size: 244.1 μV/ms). The mean S‐MUAP CV was 46.3 m/s (range: 32–59) for ALS patients and 56.5 m/s (range: 43–69) for normal subjects ( P < 0.001). Mean median motor nerve CVs, measured in the forearm segment, were not significantly different ( P = 0.79) between ALS patients (53.4 m/s) and normal subjects (52.9 m/s), however. Thenar motor unit CVs are significantly reduced in ALS patients as compared to normal controls, and this may be due to proximal motor nerve slowing. © 1998 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. Muscle Nerve 21:756–761, 1998.