Abstract

Background:
Diabetic neuropathy (DN) is the most frequent and debilitating complication of diabetes mellitus but many patients are asymptomatic for DN, thereby placing them at risk for developing serious complications in hands and feet.

Aim:
Our study was done to detect subclinical diabetic peripheral neuropathy in early stages in motor fibers of median nerve using nerve conduction studies and compare the findings with age- and sex-matched healthy controls.

Methods:
Cases consisted of one hundred patients of type 2 diabetes mellitus but asymptomatic for peripheral neu¬ropathy. Twenty-five normal, healthy individuals served as controls. The studies of distal latency, amplitude, and conduction velocity of motor fibers of right and left median nerves were performed.

Results:
There was a statistically significant increase in mean distal latency and decrease in motor nerve conduction velocity (MNCV) for median nerve on both sides in cases versus controls. The mean CMAP (compound muscle action potential) amplitude was decreased in both median nerves in cases versus controls, which was statistically significant on right side but on left side the difference was not statistically significant. Data are presented as mean ± SD. Results were evaluated by unpaired t-test. A level of p < 0.05 was accepted as statistically significant.

Conclusion:
The study showed significant impairment of median nerve motor conduction parameters in T2DM patients who were asymptomatic for features suggestive of peripheral neuropathy when compared with apparently healthy individuals. The findings in our study further strengthen the existing literature in respect of median nerve neuropathy in T2DM with stress on early screening, detection, and quick therapeutic intervention in people with or without symptoms of DN.

Key words: Diabetic peripheral neuropathy, Median nerve, Nerve conduction study