title: The effect of temporal dispersion on compound action potential area in human peripheral nerve.
abstract: In 32 ulnar nerves of healthy volunteers, the mean area of the compound muscle action potential recorded over abductor digiti minimi was reduced by 7.4% when comparing above-elbow with wrist stimulation and by 1.9% when comparing above-elbow with below-elbow stimulation. In 20 of these nerves, the mean area of the compound nerve action potential (CNAP) recorded over the fifth digit was reduced by 36% when comparing above-elbow with wrist stimulation. Area reduction of the compound action potential, especially of the CNAP, appears to be a characteristic effect of temporal dispersion in peripheral nerve when utilizing the bipolar recording technique routinely employed in clinical neurophysiology. A thorough understanding of the effects caused by temporal dispersion and of their quantitative limits in normal peripheral nerve is important for the proper interpretation of nerve conduction studies.
authors: Department of Neurology, Veterans Administration Medical Center, Portland, Oregon.
authors: R K
authors: RK
authors: Olney
authors: H J
authors: HJ
authors: Budingen
authors: R G
authors: RG
authors: Miller
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D004558:Electric Stimulation; D005071:Evoked Potentials; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D009046:Motor Neurons / Q000502:physiology; D009132:Muscles / Q000294:innervation; D009408:Nerve Compression Syndromes / Q000503:physiopathology*; D009431:Neural Conduction; D010525:Peripheral Nerves / Q000503:physiopathology*; D012677:Sensation / Q000502:physiology; D014459:Ulnar Nerve / Q000503:physiopathology