Resistance of the peripheral nerve to ischemia in diabetic patients--an electrophysiological study.
We studied the effect of ischemia on the excitability of the sensory fibers of the median nerve in 43 patients with non-insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus (NIDDM) by a double stimulation method. Ischemia caused significantly less reduction of nerve excitability in patients with poor glycemic control and in patients diseased for 5 years or longer than in the normal control group. Hyperexcitability after ischemia was markedly greater than normal among short-term, poorly controlled diabetics, and markedly less pronounced among long-term, poorly controlled diabetics. In many diabetic patients with normal conduction velocity or without sensory disturbance, post-ischemic hyperexcitability was remarkable. A study of nerve excitability may be useful as one means of detecting early-stage disturbance of the diabetic peripheral nerve.
Takahashi
M
M
Second Department of Internal Medicine, Osaka University Medical School, Japan.
Nozaki
S
S
Nakamura
Y
Y
Imaoka
H
H
Kono
N
N
Tarui
S
S
D000328:Adult; D003924:Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2 / Q000503:physiopathology*; D003929:Diabetic Neuropathies / Q000503:physiopathology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007511:Ischemia / Q000503:physiopathology*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009431:Neural Conduction; D010525:Peripheral Nerves / Q000098:blood supply* / Q000503:physiopathology