Electrophysiological findings in poliomyelitis patients at the subacute phase

Electrodiagnostic tests-needle EMG, nerve conduction and somatosentory evoked potential (SEP) studies of the upper and the lower limbs were performed in three patients during the subacute phase of poliomyelitis. Although poliomyelitis is traditionally considered a "pure motor" disease, involvement of the sensory system was demonstrated by prolonged sensory nerve conduction and by delayed latencies and amplitude asymmetries of SEPs obtained from the lower limbs. Sensory deficit in poliomyelitis is well known to exist during the acute phase of illness. The present report describes the electrophysiological findings in patients during the subacute phase, several months after onset of illness. Sensory nerve action potentials and sensory evoked potentials were abnormal, especially those elicited by lower limb stimulation although the patients had no overt signs of sensory loss at that time. The associated EMG findings are described, and the probable pathologic changes of the motor unit are discussed.