J Korean Neurol Assoc.  1998 Oct;16(5):666-671.

Clinical Usefulness of Current Perception Thresholds In Evaluating the Diabetic Neuropathy

• Kim SH
• Shim CS
• Kim JH
• Kim MH

Abstract

BACKGROUND: The study was designed to provide a comprehensive comparison of the nerve conduction velocities(NCVs) and current perception thresholds(CPTs) in evaluating the clinical severity of diabetic neuropathy.
METHODS
The seventy-eight individuals(mean age : 43.5 years, M:F = 40:38) with diabetes neuropathy of varying degrees of severity were selected after exclusion of any other potential causes of peripheral neuropathies or radiculopathies. Detailed, scored neurological symptoms(symptom score . 0-10) and physical examination(physical score : 0-48), emphasizing sensory assessment, were performed in all subjects. In addition, NCVs of motor and sensory nerves, CPTs at 5, 250, 2000Hz of the upper and lower extremities were determined. Non-parametric correlation analysis(Spearman rho) was performed as a measure of association of symptoms and physical score with the various electrodiagnostic variables.
RESULTS
Correlations between physical scores(PS) and symptom scores(55) and NCVs were significant. In most parameters, but their values of coefficients were relatively weak(rho = 0.12-0.41), particularly for the correlations of symptom scores with the motor NCVs. But, correlations of the 55 and PS with CPTs were higher than with NCVs[rho(ss): 0.25-0.38, rho(PS) : 0.32-0.60]. The correlations between PS and subgroups of CPTs were significant, but those between SS, PS and NCV were insignificant. Among the 3 types of frequencies, CPTs at 5Hz was the most effective discriminator in the lowest physical and symptom scores.
CONCLUSIONS
CPT measurements were more effective as discriminators of both symptomatic and physical status than NCV measurements. So, the supplementary use of CPT testing may improve the quantitative assessment of this condition.

MeSH Terms

Diabetic Neuropathies*
Lower Extremity
Neural Conduction
Peripheral Nervous System Diseases
Radiculopathy