Correlating nerve conduction studies with cross-sectional area measured using ultrasound in patients with neuromuscular disease / 中华神经科杂志

ABSTRACT

Objective:To determine whether there is a correlation between the cross-sectional area (CSA) and the parameters as measured on nerve conduction studies.Methods:Twenty-one patients with neuromuscular diseases in Beijing Tiantan Hospital from March 3, 2022 to May 4, 2023 underwent ultrasound measurement of the CSA of the median nerves and ulnar nerves at the wrist, elbow and the upper arm, followed by nerve conduction studies (NCS). A linear regression model was performed to compare NCS and CSA.Results:A total of 180 sets of motor nerve conduction velocity (MCV) and CSA at the different sites including 102 sets of median nerve and 78 sets of ulnar nerve, 220 sets of compound muscle action potential (CMAP) amplitude and CSA at the different sites including 104 sets of median nerve and 116 sets of ulnar nerve, 60 sets of sensory nerve conduction velocity (SCV) and CSA and sensory nerve action potential (SNAP) amplitude and CSA at the wrist including 32 sets of median nerve and 28 sets of ulnar nerve were recorded. The linear correlation between MCV and CSA was statistically significant both in median nerve ( r2=0.10,adjusted r2=0.09, P=0.001) and in ulnar nerve ( r2=0.18,adjusted r2=0.17, P<0.001).When CSA>10 mm 2, the linear correlation between CMAP amplitude and CSA was statistically significant both in median nerve ( r2=0.09,adjusted r2=0.08, P=0.024) and ulnar nerve ( r2=0.19,adjusted r2=0.17, P=0.004). The correlation between CMAP and CSA was not statistically significant when CSA≤10 mm 2. And the correlations between SCV and CSA and between SNAP and CSA were not statistically significant. Conclusions:CSA can better show the characteristics of changes in motor nerve conduction especially in motor conduction velocity. It is suggested that its application prospect in demyelinating peripheral neuropathy with motor nerve damage may be more extensive.