title: The relationship between electrodiagnostic findings and patient symptoms and function in carpal tunnel syndrome.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To examine whether, in patients with carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS), electrodiagnostic study findings were associated with patient symptom severity and functional limitations after controlling for potentially confounding variables including depression, somatization, and pain-related catastrophizing.
  
  
  METHODS
  Cross-sectional design including data from 2 ongoing CTS studies.
  
  
  METHODS
  Patients enrolled from hospitals and clinics in Washington State between October 2002 and February 2006.
  
  
  METHODS
  Adults with CTS (N=215) (based on symptoms and abnormal electrodiagnostic findings) were analyzed. Exclusion criteria were any mass, tumor, severe trauma, or deformity in the hand or wrist, radiculopathy, polyneuropathy, pregnancy, lactation, or severe CTS.
  
  
  METHODS
  Not applicable.
  
  
  METHODS
  The Carpal Tunnel Syndrome Assessment Questionnaire (CTSAQ) functional status scale assessed the ability to perform 9 common hand-related tasks. The CTSAQ symptom severity scale included 11 items that assess pain, numbness, and weakness. Patients also rated their average hand and wrist pain in the last month.
  
  
  RESULTS
  With and without controlling for patient characteristics, including age, sex, body mass index, symptom duration, depression, somatization, and pain-related catastrophizing, there were no statistically significant relationships between the electrodiagnostic findings and patient functional status and symptom severity.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Electrodiagnostic findings and patient CTS-related symptoms and function appear to be independent measures. Clinicians and researchers interested in CTS outcomes need to assess both.
authors.affiliation: Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA. leighton@u.washington.edu
authors.forename: Leighton
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Chan
authors.forename: Judith A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Turner
authors.forename: Bryan A
authors.initials: BA
authors.lastname: Comstock
authors.forename: Linda M
authors.initials: LM
authors.lastname: Levenson
authors.forename: William
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Hollingworth
authors.forename: Patrick J
authors.initials: PJ
authors.lastname: Heagerty
authors.forename: Michel
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kliot
authors.forename: Jeffrey G
authors.initials: JG
authors.lastname: Jarvik
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001294:Attitude to Health; D015992:Body Mass Index; D002349:Carpal Tunnel Syndrome / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000503:physiopathology* / Q000523:psychology; D015986:Confounding Factors, Epidemiologic; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D003863:Depression / Q000209:etiology; D004568:Electrodiagnosis / Q000379:methods* / Q000592:standards; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D006987:Hypesthesia / Q000209:etiology; D016014:Linear Models; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015999:Multivariate Analysis; D018908:Muscle Weakness / Q000209:etiology; D010146:Pain / Q000209:etiology; D011597:Psychomotor Performance; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D013001:Somatoform Disorders / Q000209:etiology; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires