Premotor potential study in carpal tunnel syndrome

• Published in: Muscle & nerve Vol. 46; no. 6; pp. 871 - 878
• Main Authors: Kodama, Mitsuhiko, Sasao, Yu, Tochikura, Michi, Kasahara, Takashi, Koyama, Yuji, Aono, Koji, Fujii, Chieko, Hanayama, Kozo, Takahashi, Osamu, Kobayashi, Yuka, Masakado, Yoshihisa
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Hoboken Wiley Subscription Services, Inc., A Wiley Company 01.12.2012; Wiley; Wiley Subscription Services, Inc
• Subjects: Adult; Aged; Biological and medical sciences; Carpal tunnel syndrome; Carpal Tunnel Syndrome - diagnosis; Carpal Tunnel Syndrome - physiopathology; Cranial nerves. Spinal roots. Peripheral nerves. Autonomic nervous system. Gustation. Olfaction; Electric Stimulation - methods; Electromyography; Evoked Potentials, Motor - physiology; Female; Hand - innervation; Humans; Linear Models; Male; Median Nerve - physiopathology; Medical sciences; Middle Aged; nerve conduction study; Nervous system (semeiology, syndromes); Neural Conduction - physiology; Neurology; neurophysiological severity; premotor potential; Prospective Studies; Reaction Time - physiology; Retrospective Studies; second lumbrical-interosseous comparison study; Severity of Illness Index; Carpal tunnel syndrome; Nervous system diseases; Compression; Diseases of the osteoarticular system; Electrophysiology; nerve conduction study; Action potential; Conduction velocity; neurophysiological severity; Hand; Wrist; Nerve conduction; second lumbrical-interosseous comparison study; Evoked potential; Median nerve; Sensory nerve; Muscle; premotor potential; Peripheral nerve disease
• ISSN: 0148-639X; 1097-4598
• DOI: 10.1002/mus.23424

Introduction: Premotor potentials (PMPs) precede compound muscle action potentials evoked from the second lumbrical muscle after median nerve stimulation. Although PMP has been identified as a median sensory nerve action potential, few reports have documented the significance of PMP parameters for diagnosing carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS). Methods: We investigated the relationships between PMP parameters and results of 6 standard median nerve conduction studies in 74 CTS hands. Results: Significant correlations were noted in all comparisons. PMP conduction velocity was strongly correlated with the sensory conduction velocity between wrist and digit 2 (r2 = 0.91). Moreover, PMP parameters were significantly correlated with neurophysiological severity of CTS. Conclusion: Measuring PMP parameters with a second lumbrical–interosseous study may be useful for diagnosing CTS. Muscle Nerve, 2012