title: Premotor Potential Study for Diagnosis of Carpal Tunnel Syndrome.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The second lumbrical-interossei latency difference test (2LINT) is used frequently for electrodiagnosis of carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS). A premotor potential observed with 2LINT has been identified as a median-nerve sensory nerve action potential. We evaluated the utility of the premotor potential latency analysis (i.e., premotor potential study; PPS) for CTS electrodiagnosis.
  
  
  METHODS
  Sensitivity, specificity, and percentage "no evoked response" (%NER) values were compared prospectively among PPS, median-nerve sensory nerve-conduction studies (NCSs) for digits 1, 2, and 4, and palmar mixed NCS.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Sixty-four healthy control hands and 104 hands with CTS were enrolled in this study. PPS sensitivity was superior to other sensory/mixed NCSs (75% vs. 42%-62%). All NCS specificities were acceptable (95%-97%). The %NER of PPS was lower than that of other NCSs (13% vs. 25%-44%).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Premotor potential could be evoked in more CTS hands and was the most sensitive among median-nerve sensory and mixed NCSs. Therefore, we could use the 2LINT with PPS as median and ulnar motor NCS as well as median sensory NCS.
authors.affiliation: Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, Tokai University School of Medicine, 143 Shimokasuya, Isehara, Kanagawa 259-1193, Japan. rehakoda@tokai-u.jp.
authors.forename: Mitsuhiko
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kodama
authors.forename: Michi
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Tochikura
authors.forename: Naoshi
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Shimoda
authors.forename: Chieko
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Fujii
authors.forename: Toshiyuki
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Fujiwara
authors.forename: Yoshihisa
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Masakado
mesh_terms: D000200:Action Potentials; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D002349:Carpal Tunnel Syndrome / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000503:physiopathology*; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D004568:Electrodiagnosis / Q000379:methods*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008475:Median Nerve / Q000503:physiopathology; D008875:Middle Aged; D009431:Neural Conduction; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity