OBJECTIVE: The objective of this systematic review was to analyze the various studies involving photobiomodulation therapy on neuropathic pain and plantar pressure distribution in diabetic peripheral neuropathy.
METHODS: We conducted a systematic review (PubMed, Web of Science, CINAHL, and Cochrane) to summarise the evidence on photobiomodulation therapy for Diabetic Peripheral Neuropathy with type 2 diabetes mellitus. Randomized and non-randomized studies were included in the review.
RESULTS: This systematic review included eight studies in which photobiomodulation therapy showed improvement in neuropathic pain and nerve conduction velocity. It also reduces plantar pressure distribution, which is a high risk for developing foot ulcers.
CONCLUSION: We conclude that photobiomodulation therapy is an effective, non-invasive, and costefficient means to improve neuropathic pain and altered plantar pressure distribution in diabetic peripheral neuropathy.
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.
METHODS: We prospectively recruited 17 GBS patients and 17 age and gender-matched controls. Serial studies of their nerve conduction parameters and nerve ultrasound, documenting the cross-sectional areas (CSA), were performed at admission and repeated at several time points throughout disease course.
RESULTS: Serial nerve ultrasound revealed significantly enlarged CSA in median, ulnar and sural nerves within the first 3 weeks of disease onset. Longitudinal evaluation revealed an improvement in the nerve CSA with time, reaching significance in the ulnar and sural nerves after 12 weeks. There was no significant difference between the demyelinating and axonal subtypes. There was also no significant correlation found between nerve CSA and neurophysiological parameters or changes in nerve CSA and muscle strength.
CONCLUSION: In GBS, serial studies of peripheral nerve ultrasound CSA are helpful to detect a gradual improvement in the nerve size.
SIGNIFICANCE: Serial nerve ultrasound studies could serve as a useful tool in demonstrating nerve recovery in GBS.
METHODS: The reference electrodiagnosis was obtained in 53 demyelinating and 45 axonal GBS patients on the basis of two serial studies and results of anti-ganglioside antibodies assay. We retrospectively employed sparse linear discriminant analysis (LDA), two existing electrodiagnostic criteria sets (Hadden et al., 1998; Rajabally et al., 2015) and one we propose that additionally evaluates duration of motor responses, sural sparing pattern and defines reversible conduction failure (RCF) in motor and sensory nerves at second study.
RESULTS: At first study the misclassification error rates, compared to reference diagnoses, were: 15.3% for sparse LDA, 30% for our criteria, 45% for Rajabally's and 48% for Hadden's. Sparse LDA identified seven most powerful electrophysiological variables differentiating demyelinating and axonal subtypes and assigned to each patient the diagnostic probability of belonging to either subtype. At second study 46.6% of axonal GBS patients showed RCF in two motor and 8.8% in two sensory nerves.
CONCLUSIONS: Based on a single study, sparse LDA showed the highest diagnostic accuracy. RCF is present in a considerable percentage of axonal patients.
SIGNIFICANCE: Sparse LDA, a supervised statistical method of classification, should be introduced in the electrodiagnostic practice.
METHODS: Muscle ultrasound was prospectively performed on 252 individual muscles from 21 CMT patients (9 CMT1A, 8 CMTX1, 4 CMT2A) and compared to 120 muscles from 10 age and gender-matched controls. Muscle ultrasound recorded echogenicity and thickness in representative muscles including first dorsal interosseus (FDI) and tibialis anterior (TA).
RESULTS: Muscle volume of FDI and thickness of TA correlated with MRC strength. Muscle echogenicity was significantly increased in FDI (65.05 vs 47.09; p<0.0001) and TA (89.45 vs 66.30; p<0.0001) of CMT patients. In TA, there was significantly higher muscle thickness (23 vs 18 vs 16mm; p<0.0001) and lower muscle echogenicity (80 vs 95 vs 108; p<0.0001) in CMT1A compared to CMTX1 and CMT2A. This corresponded to disease severity based on muscle strength (MRC grading CMT1A vs CMTX1 vs CMT2A: 59 vs 48 vs 44; p=0.002).
CONCLUSION: In CMT, quantitative muscle ultrasound of FDI and TA is a useful marker of disease severity.
SIGNIFICANCE: The current findings suggest that quantitative muscle ultrasound has potential as a surrogate marker of disease progression in future interventional trials in CMT.
MATERIALS AND METHODS: This was a cross sectional study with 64 arms from 32 patients (34 neuropathic, 30 nonneuropathic). Diagnosis was confirmed by nerve conduction study and electromyography. The ulnar nerves were evaluated with 15MHz small footprint linear array transducer. The ulnar nerve CSA was measured at three levels with arm extended: at medial epicondyle (ME), 5cm proximal and 5cm distal to ME. Results from the neuropathic and nonneuropathic arms were compared. Independent T-tests and Pearson correlation tests were used. P value of less than 0.05 was considered significant.
RESULTS: Mean CSA values for the UN at levels 5cm proximal to ME, ME and 5cm distal to ME were 0.055, 0.109, 0.045 cm(2) respectively in the neuropathic group and 0.049, 0.075, 0.042 cm2 respectively in the non-neuropathic group. The CSA of the UN at the ME level was significantly larger in the neuropathic group, with p value of 0.005. However, there was no statistical difference between the groups at 5cm proximal and distal to the ME, with p values of 0.10 and 0.35 respectively.
CONCLUSION: There is significant difference in CSA values of the UN at ME between the neuropathic and non-neuropathic groups with mean CSA value above the predetermined 0.10cm(2) cut-off point. High-resolution ultrasonography is therefore useful to diagnose and follow up cases of elbow UNN.
Materials and Methods: One hundred healthy adults' nerves were assessed, using standardized techniques. Individuals were grouped into age groups. Gender differences were assessed.
Results: Of the 100 volunteers, 49 were female and 51 were male. Their mean age was 39.8 years. Findings showed statistically significant prolongation of median distal motor latency (DML) and F-wave latency with age and reduction of median, ulnar, and sural sensory amplitudes as age increased. Gender differences showed consistent difference in the normal values for median, ulnar, and peroneal DMLs and respective F-wave latencies, which were significantly shorter in females. Sensory amplitudes of tested upper extremity nerves were significantly lower in males. Comparing with available data, our findings are similar to the Saudi population but significantly different from the American and multiethnic Malaysian populations. Pakistani individuals generally have significantly higher amplitudes and faster conduction velocities with similarities to South Asian studies.
Conclusions: We recommend normative NCS parameters for commonly tested nerves for the Pakistani population, using standardized techniques to ensure highest quality testing and outcomes.