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In Vivo Electrophysiological Measurements on Mouse Sciatic Nerves
Published on: April 13, 2014
Influence of age and height on nerve conduction
M H Rivner1, T R Swift, K Malik
1Department of Neurology, EMG Laboratory, Medical College of Georgia, Augusta, Georgia 30912, USA. Mrivner@neuro.mcg.edu
Muscle & Nerve
|August 9, 2001
Summary
Nerve conduction velocity (NCV) and response amplitudes decrease with age and height. Both factors are crucial for establishing accurate normal values in electrodiagnostic studies.
Area of Science:
- Neurology
- Neurophysiology
- Biomedical Engineering
Background:
- Previous research indicates age and height influence nerve conduction velocity (NCV) and response amplitudes.
- Existing studies often lack continuous populations, hindering robust regression analysis and leading to variable correlation coefficients.
Purpose of the Study:
- To retrospectively analyze the relationship between age, height, and electrodiagnostic parameters in a large cohort of clinically normal subjects.
- To determine the predictive power of age and height on nerve conduction velocity and response amplitudes.
Main Methods:
- Retrospective analysis of 3969 clinically normal subjects from 22,420 electrodiagnostic studies (1986-1998).
- Statistical analysis including regression to assess correlations between age, height, NCV, and response amplitudes.
Main Results:
- Height showed a stronger correlation with NCV than age; combined factors explained 12-27% of variance.
- While most subjects over 70 had responses, the incidence of no response increased with age.
- Age inversely correlated with sensory and motor response amplitudes (7-16% variance); combined factors improved this to 7-22% variance.
Conclusions:
- Both height and age significantly impact NCV and response amplitudes.
- Accurate development of normal electrodiagnostic values necessitates considering both height and age.
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