title: Blink reflex in type 2 diabetes mellitus.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  An evaluation of the extent of damage of the central nervous system in diabetes mellitus is of high value in current research. Electrophysiological abnormalities are frequently present in asymptomatic patients with diabetes mellitus. Diabetic cranial neuropathy is one of the complications of the disease. Blink reflex is used to diagnose subclinical cranial neuropathy. The objective is to test the utility of blink reflex in detecting subclinical cranial nerve involvement in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus.
  
  
  METHODS
  Forty patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus, aged from 30 to 60 years examined clinically and neurologically. Blink reflex and nerve conduction studies for the upper and lower limbs were performed and compared with 20 matched normal controls.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Diabetic patients with peripheral neuropathy showed significant prolonged distal latency and reduced amplitudes of the R2C response compared with the control, patients without peripheral neuropathy showed insignificant changes. Alteration of R2 correlated with the type of treatment and the duration of the disease. In patients without peripheral neuropathy, ulnar sensory distal latencies showed significant positive correlation with R2I latency, whereas its Conduction Velocity (CV) showed significant positive correlation with R2C amplitudes and negative correlation with R2C latency.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  R2C is the most sensitive parameter in the blink reflex, which can help in the diagnosis of subclinical diabetic cranial neuropathy.
authors.affiliation: *Department of Clinical Neurophysiology, Cairo University, Giza, Egypt; †Department of Clinical Neurophysiology, Beni Suef University, Beni Suef, Egypt; and Departments of ‡Neurology and §Internal Medicine, Cairo University, Giza, Egypt.
authors.forename: Saly H
authors.initials: SH
authors.lastname: Elkholy
authors.forename: Hanan M
authors.initials: HM
authors.lastname: Hosny
authors.forename: Nevein M
authors.initials: NM
authors.lastname: Shalaby
authors.forename: Reem A
authors.initials: RA
authors.lastname: El-Hadidy
authors.forename: Noha T
authors.initials: NT
authors.lastname: Abd El-Rahim
authors.forename: Manal M
authors.initials: MM
authors.lastname: Mohamed
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001767:Blinking; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D003389:Cranial Nerve Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000209:etiology / Q000503:physiopathology; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D003924:Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2 / Q000150:complications* / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000503:physiopathology; D003928:Diabetic Nephropathies / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000209:etiology / Q000503:physiopathology; D004558:Electric Stimulation; D004568:Electrodiagnosis / Q000379:methods*; D019054:Evoked Potentials, Motor; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009431:Neural Conduction; D009460:Neurologic Examination; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D011379:Prognosis; D011930:Reaction Time; D013997:Time Factors