title: Single-fiber conduction velocity test allows earlier detection of abnormalities in diabetes.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The purpose of this study was to determine whether single-fiber conduction velocity (SF-CV) of a small number of axons increases sensitivity for identification of motor nerve conduction alterations in patients with diabetes.
  
  
  METHODS
  Twenty-one consecutive diabetic patients in good metabolic control were studied. For each patient, conventional (C-CV) and SF-CV results were correlated with the presence of neuropathic symptoms.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Nine of 21 patients reported symptoms suggestive of mild nerve impairment. Three patients had abnormal sural nerve CV, 1 of whom also had abnormal motor nerve conduction. Eighteen patients had normal findings on conventional tests, 3 of whom had slowing of SF-CV.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  SF-CV is able to detect mild myelin damage with higher sensitivity than conventional tests. The use of SF-CV may be a helpful tool in the early identification of diabetic polyneuropathy, and it may be useful for tailoring an approach to diabetic polyneuropathy.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Neurology, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Largo F Vito 1, Rome 00168, Italy. lpadua@rm.unicatt.it
authors.forename: Luca
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Padua
authors.forename: Erik
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Stålberg
authors.forename: Pietro
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Caliandro
authors.forename: Giovanna
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Muscogiuri
authors.forename: Costanza
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Pazzaglia
authors.forename: Gian Pio
authors.initials: GP
authors.lastname: Sorice
authors.forename: Giuseppe
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Granata
authors.forename: Enrica
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Salomone
authors.forename: Alfredo
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Pontecorvi
authors.forename: Andrea
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Giaccari
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D003924:Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2 / Q000150:complications / Q000503:physiopathology*; D003929:Diabetic Neuropathies / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000209:etiology / Q000503:physiopathology*; D042241:Early Diagnosis; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009413:Nerve Fibers, Myelinated / Q000502:physiology*; D009431:Neural Conduction / Q000502:physiology*