Motor nerve conduction velocities calculated by F tacheodispersion in patients with anterior horn diseases

F tacheodispersion, a new neurophysiological technique based on F waves, was used to determine the motor nerve conduction velocities in 16 patients with motor neuron disease and 19 patients with sequelae following paralytic poliomyelitis. The findings were compared to two age-matched groups, each consisting of 20 healthy volunteers. In each subject the F wave maximal, minimal, mean conduction velocities and the difference between maximal and minimal velocities of the ulnar and peroneal nerves were calculated. M response distal latency, amplitude and conduction velocity were also measured. There was a statistical significant slowing of one or more of the F wave estimated velocities in the absence of M response abnormalities in 31.3% of nerves in motor neuron disease group and in 27.3% of nerves in the poliomyelitis group; between 6.3% and 37.5%, of the nerves studied showed a significant change in the difference between maximal and minimal conduction velocities. Our results favour the presence of changes of motor fibre conduction properties in some patients with anterior horn diseases.