CONDUCTION-VELOCITY VERSUS AMPLITUDE ANALYSIS - EVIDENCE FOR DEMYELINATION IN DIABETIC NEUROPATHY

Motor conduction velocities (CVs) were correlated with distal compound muscle action potential (CMAP) amplitudes for tibial, peroneal, and m edian nerves in patients with biopsy-proven chronic inflammatory demye linating polyneuropathy (CIDP), diabetic neuropathy, and amyotrophjc l ateral sclerosis. Only in the diabetic patients did CV significantly c orrelate with CMAP amplitude. The data show that diabetic neuropathy p roduces conduction velocity slowing that cannot be explained by axon l oss alone, and that differentiation between diabetic neuropathy and CI DP in an individual nerve is difficult. (C) 1998 John Wiley & Sons, In c.