title: Conduction velocity in the forearm segment of the median nerve in patients with impaired conduction through the carpal tunnel.
abstract: Conduction velocity, in the forearm segment of the median nerve, has been investigated in a group of patients with carpal tunnel syndrome. Motor conduction velocity was reduced below 50 m/s in 18% of the sample. Although a correlation between severity of compression and forearm motor conduction velocity was demonstrated, it was weak (r = 0.51) and slow forearm velocities occurred in some patients who had only a minor abnormality at the carpal tunnel itself. In patients with uncomplicated carpal tunnel syndrome, slow motor conduction in the forearm segment of the median nerve was accompanied by only a small reduction (approx. 5 m/s) in mixed nerve conduction velocity. By contrast, in patients whose abnormality at the carpal tunnel was accompanied by evidence of a more widespread sensorimotor neuropathy, mixed nerve conduction velocity was reduced in parallel with the change in motor conduction velocity.
authors.affiliation: Midland Centre for Neurosurgery and Neurology, Smethwick, UK.
authors.forename: J E
authors.initials: JE
authors.lastname: Fox
authors.forename: I H
authors.initials: IH
authors.lastname: Bangash
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D002349:Carpal Tunnel Syndrome / Q000503:physiopathology*; D005542:Forearm / Q000294:innervation / Q000502:physiology; D006801:Humans; D008475:Median Nerve / Q000166:cytology / Q000503:physiopathology*; D008875:Middle Aged; D009046:Motor Neurons / Q000502:physiology; D009431:Neural Conduction / Q000502:physiology*; D009475:Neurons, Afferent / Q000502:physiology