Somatosensory evoked potentials (SSEPs); sensory nerve conduction velocity (SNCV) and motor nerve conduction velocity (MNCV) in chronic renal failure

Abstract

Somatosensory evoked potentials, sensory and motor nerve conduction velocity were studied in 25 patients of chronic renal failure and the results were compared with 15 healthy persons. The values more than +/- 3 S.D. were considered abnormal. SNCV was reduced in 11/25 patients; average reduction being 18 m/s (highly significant, p < 0.001); MNCV was reduced in 11/25 patients, average reduction being 20 m/s (highly significant, p < 0.001). Both SNCV and MNCV in same person were reduced in 6/25 patients. In SSEP N9, N13 and N20 were delayed in almost all the patients (highly significant, p < 0.001). Amplitude of N20 and N13 were reduced in 1 and 4 patients respectively but amplitude of N9 was normal. Out of different IPLS, Ebw-N9 was delayed in 5/25 patients (p < 0.9, insignificant); N9-N13 was delayed in 8/25 patients (p < 0.001, highly significant); N13-N20 was delayed in 1/25 patients (p < 0.01, significant). The evidence of these neurophysiological abnormalities collectively suggest the presence of central-peripheral axonopathy in this disease.