Quantitative thermal sensory testing in patients with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis using reaction time exclusive method of levels (MLE).
OBJECTIVE
Quantitative thermal sensory testing (QST) systems are used for the noninvasive quantification of sensory nerve function including the small myelinated and unmyelinated fibres which is not provided by classical sensory nerve conduction studies. Although Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) is a pure motor disorder, nevetheless involvement of the sensory fires has been reported occasionally by various techniques. In the present study Reaction Time Exclusive Method of Levels (MLE) was used to detect somatic small fibre involvement in ALS patients with no sensory abnomalities on routine NCS.


METHODS
Twenty patients of clinically definite ALS, were evaluated with QST using the reaction time exclusive method of Levels (MLE) for detecting the thresholds of cold sensation (CS) and warm sensation (WS). They were compared with 20 age matched controls.


RESULTS
No abnormalities were detected in the thresholds for CS and WS in patients with ALS as compared to the controls.


CONCLUSIONS
Thus ALS is essentially a pure motor disorder with normal thermal thresholds as revealed by QST.
Deepika
J
J
Department of Neurology, All India Institute of Medical Sciences, Neurosciences Centre, Ansari Nagar, New Delhi, India. d_joshi73@yahoo.co.in
Manvir
B
B
Sumit
S
S
Vinay
G
G
Trilochan
S
S
Garima
S
S
Padma
M V
MV
Madhuri
B
B
D000200:Action Potentials / Q000502:physiology; D000328:Adult; D000690:Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis / Q000503:physiopathology*; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D003080:Cold Temperature; D004576:Electromyography; D019054:Evoked Potentials, Motor / Q000502:physiology; D005260:Female; D006358:Hot Temperature; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009046:Motor Neurons / Q000502:physiology; D009413:Nerve Fibers, Myelinated / Q000502:physiology; D036421:Nerve Fibers, Unmyelinated / Q000502:physiology; D009431:Neural Conduction / Q000502:physiology; D009475:Neurons, Afferent / Q000502:physiology*; D011930:Reaction Time / Q000502:physiology*; D012684:Sensory Thresholds / Q000502:physiology*; D013697:Thermosensing / Q000502:physiology*