The usefulness of the brainstem auditory evoked potential in the early diagnosis of cranial nerve neuropathy associated with diabetes mellitus.
BACKGROUND
An evaluation of the extent and mechanism of damage of the central nervous system in diabetes mellitus is of high value in current neurological research. Electrophysiological abnormalities are frequently present is completely asymatomatic diabetes mellitus (DM) patients. Limited data is available in the use of brainstem auditory evoked potential (BAEP) in DM.


OBJECTIVE
Is to evaluate the efficacy of BAEP as a method useful in the diagnosis of subclinical damage of the central nervous system in DM.


METHODS
67 diabetes and 32 healthy controls - age and sex matched - were chosen. The diabetes were of type I and II and more than or less than 10 years duration. The BAEP was elicited by using auditory stimulus by using Dantec Evomatic 4000 evoked potential machine. The latency of component response recored as waves I, III and V, interpeak latency (IPLs) I - III, I - V, III - V and amplitude of waves V.


RESULTS
The difference was highly significant in the increased latency of waves I, III and V, interpeak latency (IPLs) I - III, I - V, III - V and amplitude of waves V of each type of diabetes as compared to control. Comparison of the type and duration of diabetes between each other showed no significant difference.


CONCLUSIONS
BAEP recording can represent an objective, clinically useful and non invasive procedure to stress the early impairment both of the auditory nerve and of brainstem function.
Al-Azzawi
L M
LM
Department of Oral Pathology, College of Dentistry--University of Baghdad, Iraq. Pedahm@yahoo.co.uk
Mirza
K B
KB
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D002493:Central Nervous System Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000209:etiology / Q000503:physiopathology; D003929:Diabetic Neuropathies / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000503:physiopathology; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D016057:Evoked Potentials, Auditory, Brain Stem / Q000502:physiology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity