Significance Of Nerve Electrophysiology Technology In The Diagnosis Of Diabetic Small Fiber Neuropathy

Objective：To investigate the significance of nerve electrophysiology detectiontechnology in the diagnosis of Diabetic peripheral neuropathy,especially the quantit-ative thermal testing(QTT).Methods：120diabetic patients were measured for Nerve conduction studies(NCS), Sympathetic skin response (SSR) and quantitative thermal testing(QTT),QTTincluding four kinds of parameters of cold perception threshold (CT), thermalperception threshold (TT), cold pain threshold (CPT) and heat pain threshold(HPT).These nerve electrophysiological results were statistically analysed.Results：①The abnormal rate of CT,TT,CPT and HPT were respectively39.58%,47.29%,64.58%and71.67%. The difference between them was statistically signify-cant (P<0.05).②The abnormal rates of CT, TT, CPT, HPT in lower limb were respectively51.67%,94.58%,62.08%,85.00%; the abnormal rates of CT, TT, CPT, HPT in upperlimb were respectively22.33%,34.59%,32.5%,58.33%; the abnormal rates of CT, TT,CPT,HPT in lower limb are higher than those in the upper limbs, the difference areobvious.(P<0.05).③The abnormal rates of CT in the group with non-symptom, mild, moderateor severe symptom are respectively19.17%,31.25%,43.94%,76.19%; the abnormalrates of TT in the group with non-symptom, mild, moderate or severe symptom are41.67%,58.33%,75.76%,90.48%respectively; the abnormal rates of CT and TTincreased with the clinical severity, compared to the group with non-symptom, mild,moderate or severe symptom. The difference between them was statisticallysignificant (P<0.05), but CPT and HPT is not.④The abnormal rate of QTT, NCS and SSR were respectively90.83%,25.83%,57.50%. The difference between them was statistically significant (P<0.05).Conclusions：QTT is the most sensitive electrophysiological method in thedetection of diabetic peripheral neuropathy. Cold perception threshold and thermalperception thresholds are sensitive indicators for diagnosis of diabetic peripheralneuropathy, especially small myelinated and unmyelinated nerve fiber neuropathy.