Reference values for F wave parameters in healthy 3-20 year old subjects.
OBJECTIVE
To create a reference value database for F wave parameters from healthy subjects aged 3-20 yr.


METHODS
We studied the following parameters: minimum F wave latency minus distal motor latency (FMINLAT), number of F waves/20 stimuli (FNUMBER) and F wave dispersion (FDISP). The median, ulnar, peroneal and tibial nerves were studied. All four nerves were not analyzed in all subjects, the number of subjects varied from 78 to 118 in each nerve.


RESULTS
Age explained 71-87% of the variability of FLATMIN while height explained 80-95% of the variability. The FMINLAT increases by 0.12 ms/cm of height in the upper limb nerves and by 0.28 ms/cm in the lower limb nerves. Gender did not influence the FMINLAT. FDISP was not related with age, height or gender. FNUMBER was not related with age or height, it was somewhat larger in males than females but the difference was not significant in all nerves.


CONCLUSIONS
The best model for FMINLAT was a linear regression model with height as an independent variable. FDISP and FNUMBER are not related to age, height or gender between the ages of 3 and 20 yr.


CONCLUSIONS
We have constructed clinically useful reference values for F wave parameters in healthy subjects aged 3-20 yr for the main motor nerves commonly studied.
Puksa
L
L
Department of Neurology and Neurosurgery, University Hospital, 51014 Tartu, Estonia. leena.puksa@kliinikum.ee
Eeg-Olofsson
K Edebol
KE
Stålberg
E
E
Falck
B
B
D000200:Action Potentials / Q000502:physiology*; D000293:Adolescent; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D004558:Electric Stimulation / Q000379:methods; D004594:Electrophysiology / Q000379:methods*; D005071:Evoked Potentials / Q000502:physiology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009046:Motor Neurons / Q000502:physiology*; D009431:Neural Conduction / Q000502:physiology*; D010525:Peripheral Nerves / Q000502:physiology*; D012016:Reference Values; D012727:Sex Characteristics; D055815:Young Adult