Role of electrophysiological studies in diabetic neuropathy

Electrophysiological studies are a reproducible and noninvasive method of assessing peripheral nerve function. The sensitivity of these methods has been validated in population-based and clinical studies, and the variability of test results is typically lower than with other noninvasive tests of nerve function. It has been recommended that standardized procedures including temperature control and equipment calibration be utilized with electrophysiological testing. The failure to detect significant changes in nerve conduction studies from clinical studies may be due to poor standardization of technique and inadequate sample size to detect differences. Baseline results from a multicenter, randomized trial indicate that different electrophysiological measures are highly correlated and reproducible. This and future studies that incorporate standardized techniques and an adequate sample size should be able to detect significant differences between treatments and identify effective therapeutic interventions for diabetic neuropathy.