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Muscle tone in diabetic polyneuropathy evaluated by the quantitative pendulum test
Chou-Ching K Lin1, Ming-Shaung Ju, Han-Wei Huang
1Department of Neurology, University Hospital, Tainan, Taiwan. cx145@mail.ncku.edu.tw
Archives of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation
|February 27, 2007
Summary
Diabetic polyneuropathy (DPN) patients exhibit decreased upper limb muscle tone, characterized by increased relaxation and reduced damping. This change, primarily affecting the velocity-dependent component, is not detectable by standard clinical tests.
Area of Science:
- Neurology
- Biomedical Engineering
- Diabetology
Background:
- Diabetic polyneuropathy (DPN) is a common complication of diabetes mellitus.
- Muscle tone alterations are suspected in DPN but lack precise quantification.
- Objective measurement of upper limb muscle tone in DPN is needed.
Purpose of the Study:
- To quantitatively assess upper limb muscle tone in patients with diabetic polyneuropathy.
- To identify biomechanical parameters indicative of muscle tone changes in DPN.
- To compare muscle tone between DPN patients and healthy controls.
Main Methods:
- A case-control study involving 53 DPN patients and 128 controls.
- Quantitative upper-limb pendulum tests were employed.
- Biomechanical parameters including relaxation index and damping coefficient were analyzed.
Main Results:
- DPN patients showed a significantly increased relaxation index.
- A significant decrease in the damping coefficient was observed in DPN patients.
- No significant differences were found in the number of swings or stiffness constant.
Conclusions:
- Muscle tone, specifically passive resistance, is reduced in the upper limbs of DPN patients.
- The observed decrease in muscle tone is mainly attributed to a diminished velocity-dependent component.
- These biomechanical changes are not correlated with nerve conduction velocity and are undetectable by manual bedside tests.
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