Effects of demographic and physical factors on nerve conduction study values of healthy subjects in a multi-ethnic Asian population

INTRODUCTION: We investigated the effects of demographic and physical factors on nerve conduction studies (NCS) in a multi-ethnic Asian population.

METHODS: One hundred sixty-six healthy Malaysians of different ethnicities (51.2% women, aged 21-77 years) underwent NCS using a standard protocol. Correlations of various factors to NCS were determined, and multiple linear regression analysis was used to develop predictive equations for each parameter.

RESULTS: Age and ethnicity were the commonest independent factors influencing NCS followed by gender, height, weight, and body mass index. Increasing age predicted a reduction in lower limb motor and all sensory nerve action potential amplitudes and decrease in motor and sensory (except sural) conduction velocities. Ethnic Indians had slower motor and sensory conduction velocities in several nerves and also had differences in action potential amplitudes.

CONCLUSIONS: NCS parameters in multi-ethnic Malaysians were influenced independently by various demographic and physical factors, including ethnicity. Muscle Nerve 54: 244-248, 2016.