title: Reliability determination of F mean response latency.
abstract: Two hundred consecutive ulnar F wave latencies were evaluated in 30 healthy controls (C) and in 9 patients with mild neuropathy (N). The primary study objective was to determine the F wave sample size required to obtain a reliable F mean latency. A secondary objective was to explore the diagnostic utility of three F wave parameters: the minimal F wave latency (Fmin), the average F wave latency (Fmean), and the minimal-maximal F wave latency difference (Frange). For the control group, the Fmean reliability estimates as measured by intraclass correlation coefficients were 0.87, 0.97, and 0.99 with 1, 5, and 10 responses, respectively; for the N group, the corresponding values were 0.73, 0.93, and 0.96. Fmean was abnormal in 89% of the subjects with mild neuropathy whereas Frange and Fmin were abnormal in 67% and 33%, respectively. The study suggests (1) a reliable F mean latency can be obtained by averaging ten F responses; and (2) Fmean and Frange offers promise in increasing the diagnostic utility of the F response in identifying mild neuropathies.
authors.affiliation: Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, Columbus Childrens Hospital, OH 43205.
authors.forename: M H
authors.initials: MH
authors.lastname: Taniguchi
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Hayes
authors.forename: A A
authors.initials: AA
authors.lastname: Rodriguez
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D002607:Charcot-Marie-Tooth Disease / Q000503:physiopathology; D003929:Diabetic Neuropathies / Q000503:physiopathology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010523:Peripheral Nervous System Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000503:physiopathology*; D011930:Reaction Time; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D014459:Ulnar Nerve / Q000502:physiology*