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The influence of temperature on conduction block
Author(s) -
Franssen Hessel,
Wieneke George H.,
Wokke John H.J.
Publication year - 1999
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(199902)22:2<166::aid-mus4>3.0.co;2-q
Subject(s) - thermal conduction , block (permutation group theory) , f wave , nerve conduction , nerve conduction velocity , motor nerve , dispersion (optics) , anatomy , chemistry , nuclear magnetic resonance , materials science , anesthesia , medicine , mathematics , physics , geometry , optics , composite material
In nerve conduction studies, it may be difficult to distinguish conduction block from increased temporal dispersion. We assessed whether a better distinction is possible by warming, because this increases the number of blocked nerve fibers and decreases temporal dispersion. We investigated 11 patients with conduction block in the median or ulnar nerve. Motor conduction was studied at 25°C and at 40°C. The amplitude reduction and area reduction were significantly greater at 40°C than at 25°C. Significantly more nerve segments fulfilled criteria for conduction block at 40°C than at 25°C. The duration prolongation was slightly smaller at 40°C. These results indicate that, in demyelinating neuropathies, an increase in temperature increases the number of blocked nerve fibers and decreases temporal dispersion. Conduction block may therefore be missed when the investigated limb is too cold. Based on our study, we also propose a criterion for conduction block that is based on the influence of temperature. © 1999 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. Muscle Nerve 22: 166–173, 1999