Electrophysiologic evaluation of beri-beri polyneuropathy

The diagnostic utility of electroneuromyography including F-wave and H-reflex was studied in 68 patients with peripheral polyneuropathy due to nutritional deficiency of thiamine. Out of all the electrophysiologic evaluations assessed, denervation activity in electromyography, prolonged conduction velocity and reduced motor nerve action potentials and prolonged H-reflex latency were the most frequently found abnormal findings, followed by reduced sural nerve action potential and, much less frequently, prolonged F-wave latency. In experimental thiamine-deficiency evoked polyneuropathy in chickens, the prominent abnormal findings were found in the leg muscles such as F-wave pathology and reduction and prolongation of peroneal and sciatic motor nerve action potentials, and also a prolongation of the distal sensory peroneal nerve latency respectively.