LACK OF ASSOCIATION BETWEEN OUTCOME MEASURES OF NERVE REGENERATION

Studies of nerve regeneration in rodents utilize at least one of three classes of outcome measures: electrophysiology, morphometry, and func tional tests. The assumption that these measures are correlated was te sted utilizing a data set of 16 variables. Significant correlations (S pearman's rho, P less than or equal to 0.05) were found within variabl e classes; however, none were found between classes. The three commonl y utilized outcome measures do not measure the same phenomenon but rat her discrete aspects of nerve regeneration. (C) 1998 John Wiley & Sons , Inc.