Electrophysiological course of uraemic neuropathy in haemodialysis patients

The objective of this study was to confirm electrophysiologically both the presence and course of uraemic neuropathy in haemodialysis patients. Nerve conduction studies of the lower extremities were done in 70 haemodialysis p atients and 20 normal volunteers. Compared with that in normal volunteers, the distal motor latency in the tibial nerve of patients was prolonged sign ificantly (p <0.05), and the minimal F wave latency in the tibial nerve was also prolonged significantly (p <0.05). Motor conduction velocity in the t ibial nerve was reduced significantly (p <0.05), and sensory nerve conducti on velocity in the medial plantar nerve also was reduced significantly (p < 0.05). These results suggest the presence of uraemic neuropathy in haemodia lysis patients. Twenty patients were investigated by a follow up study five years later. Parameters from F wave conduction studies, which were thought to be the most useful in the evaluation of neuropathy, showed no significa nt differences between the initial and follow up trials. These observations suggest that uraemic neuropathy does not progress during haemodialysis. Th ese results also suggest that most haemodialysis patients showed electrophy siological evidence of uraemic neuropathy, but no remarkable electrophysiol ogical change in uraemic neuropathy during haemodialysis was recognised.