Nerve conduction studies and its importance in diagnosis of acute poliomyelitis

Motor nerve conduction velocities was performed on 50 subjects in the pediatric age group. Thirty two patients with acute poliomyelitis and 18 controls. The MNCV was studied in the median nerve in the upper limb and the posterior tibial in the lower limb. The motor nerve conduction velocity in polio patients matched well with the controls, as well as within the accepted standards for normal. The MNCV of the median nerve ranged from 41.8 +/- 2.76 m/sec in under 1 year to 44 +/- 2.1 m/sec in 3-8 years, in polio patients, while the range in controls varied from 37 to 53 m/sec. Similarly, for the posterior tibial nerve, in polio patients the value of MNCV varied from 38.7 +/- 4.9 m/sec to 42.5 +/- 3.1 m/sec. In the controls, also the MNCV ranged from 38.5 +/- 6.3 m/sec to 48.4 +/- 3.42 m/sec. Thus, no delay on the motor nerve conduction velocity was seen. Poliomyelitis is a major problem in developing countries like Pakistan and India, where serological diagnosis is a luxury. The determination of motor nerve conduction velocity provides a quick and easy method of distinguishing poliomyelitis from other motor nerve disorders esp. Guillain Barre syndrome.