PubMed Health⌕ Search

Biomedical subjects

E S Date

Publications and source records attributed to E S Date.

22 records · Page 2Linked to original sources

Thoracodorsal nerve conduction study.

There is no nerve conduction study for the thoracodorsal nerve in the literature. A conduction study for this nerve is described. Thirty healthy adults (16 males) with a mean age of 41.5 +/- 10.6 (range, 22-63) years were studied. The thoracodorsal nerve was stimulated at axilla and Erb's point with recording over the latissimus dorsi. The latency was 1.9 +/- 0.4 (range, 1.2-2.7) ms and 3.6 +/- 0.4 (range, 2.8-4.5) ms for the axillary and Erb's stimulations, respectively. The amplitude of the compound muscle action potential was 4.1 +/- 1.8 mv on the right and 3.9 +/- 1.4 mv on the left. The compound muscle action potential ratio was 0.8 +/- 0.12 (range, 0.55-0.99). This study may be useful to evaluate the integrity of the thoracodorsal nerve and to assist in the diagnosis and prognosis of brachial plexus injury.

Action Potentials↗

Sensory nerve conduction velocity is inversely related to axonal length.

It was found that the axonal length was inversely related to motor conduction velocity (CV). However, it is not clear that sensory CV is inversely related to axonal length. The nerve lengths of the median sensory fascicles from the C6 and C7 intervertebral foramen to the digital branches of the thumb and middle finger were compared in ten cadavers. Sixty healthy subjects (24 men, 36 women; mean age 35, range 24-54 years) had median sensory CV testing. The median sensory nerve action potentials were obtained antidromically in the thumb and middle finger with wrist and elbow. The CVs across the forearm for the thumb and the middle finger fascicles were then calculated. It was found that the nerve length of C7 was longer than C6 with a difference of 3.6 +/- 0.6 cm. The mean forearm CV for the median sensory axons innervating the middle finger (60.0 +/- 3.9 m/s) was slower than the CV for the median sensory axons innervating the thumb (61.4 +/- 4.1 m/s,p = 0.0012). These results demonstrate that sensory CV is slowed by 3.9 m/s per 10 cm of axon length. This study confirms that the inverse relation of CV and axonal length reported in motor axons also applies to the sensory nerves.

Action Potentials↗

Effects of elbow flexion on radial nerve motor conduction velocity.

The position of the elbow while conducting motor studies of the radial nerve is generally extended (15) or slightly flexed (10), but little is known about the effects of elbow flexion on the radial motor conduction velocity. We attempted to measure the effects of the elbow position on the radial motor conduction velocity, as well as directly measure the change in the length of the nerve at different elbow positions in the cadaver. In addition, we established normal values for the radial F-wave with the recording electrode on the extensor indicis proprius muscle. Radial motor nerve conduction was studied in 25 normal subjects to evaluate the effect of 3 different elbow positions (0 degree, 45 degrees, and 90 degrees) on motor conduction velocity (MCV) across the elbow. Direct (in situ) radial nerve measurements were performed on four cadaver specimens to compare changes in nerve length during elbow flexion. Normal values for radial F-wave latencies recording from the extensor indicis proprius muscle were also determined in 23 subjects. The radial MCV decreased significantly as the elbow flexed from 0 degree to 90 degrees. The normal range of values for radial motor nerve conduction at 0 degree of elbow flexion was 71.7 +/- 4.7 m/s, 68.9 +/- 4.9 at 45 degrees of elbow flexion, and 62.0 +/- 6.4 m/s at 90 degrees elbow flexion. Actual (in situ) radial nerve measurements were also found to decrease in length as the elbow flexed. The minimal radial F-wave latency was 19.8 +/- 3.7 milliseconds. For routine determination of motor nerve conduction velocity across the elbow, we recommend that the elbow be fully extended, as the distance measurement most accurately reflects the maximum anatomic length of the nerve. We also feel that the radial nerve F-wave latency is readily obtainable from the extensor indicis proprius muscle.

Adult↗

Correlation of EMG, CMAP and SNAP amplitude decrease in mononeuropathies with axonal loss.

We retrospectively reviewed electrodiagnostic studies from 1983 to 1994 and found 48 patients who met our criteria for mononeuropathy with axonal loss (40 ulnar, 4 peroneal, 4 radial). Appropriate diagnostic criteria required bilateral studies with a normal contralateral, sensory nerve action potential (SNAP) amplitude decrease of > 50% compared to contralateral, and/or distal compound muscle action potential (CMAP) amplitude decrease of > 40% compared to contralateral, and/or presence of denervation potentials; and sufficient electrodiagnostic investigation to rule out peripheral polyneuropathy. We conclude that in the electrodiagnosis of mononeuropathy with axonal loss: 1) a significant quantitative correlation between CMAP and SNAP amplitude percentage decrease does not exist (r = 0.274, p = 0.06), 2) SNAP amplitude percentage decrease [75.3 +/- 31.8%] is greater than CMAP amplitude percentage decrease [43.9 +/- 31.3%] (paired t-test, p = 0.0001), and 3) CMAP amplitude decrease is positively correlated with the presence of denervation potentials (Xtrend2 = 6.22, p = 0.013).

Action Potentials↗