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Basic Nerve Conduction
Studies Holli A. Horak, MD
University of Arizona
August 2015
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Introduction
Review nerve physiology/ anatomy
Purpose of testing
Study design
Motor NCS
Sensory NCS
Mixed NCS
Interpretation
Technical considerations
Summary
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Anatomy
Axon
Myelin
Neuromuscular Junction
Muscle fibers
Motor Neuron
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Anatomy
One projection central
Dorsal column
Other axon distal
Sensory end organ
Myelinated: different degrees
Dorsal Root ganglion: Bipolar Nerve cell
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Anatomy
Neurons
AHC
DRG
Roots
Rami
Ventral Rami:
Plexus
Dorsal Rami:
Paraspinals
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Anatomy
Certain nerves are routinely studied
Location
Size
Important pathology
Ease of evaluation
Some are less often studied
Some are rarely studied
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Study Design
Answer the clinical question
Not just routine
Specifically choose nerve evaluation needed
Motor NCS
Sensory NCS
Repetitive stimulation
Other (mixed study)
Least number of NCS needed to answer the clinical question
I.e.. CTS
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Purpose of testing
Neuropathy
Focal
Carpal Tunnel Syndrome (CTS)
Peroneal neuropathy
Ulnar neuropathy
Generalized
Diabetic Neuropathy
Guillain Barre syndrome (GBS)
Axonal
Diabetic Neuropathy
Nerve transection
Demyelinating
GBS
CTS
Other conditions
Radiculopathy
Neuromuscular junction defects
Myasthenia Gravis
LEMS
Motor Neuron Disease
ALS
Sensory Neuronopathy
Sjogren’s disease
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Motor nerve conduction studies
Larger
More reproducible
Troubleshooting is easier
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Why?
Compound Muscle Action Potential
Muscle amplifies the response
Stimulate nerve axons
Causes muscle to contract
Recording the muscle contraction
Response is in millivolts
(1000X larger than SNAP)
Few anatomic variations
Large motor axons tend to be affected late in disease states
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Motor NCS
Belly-Tendon montage
G1: active
G2: reference
Stimulate proximal
Measure site (s)
Consistent
0-60mAmps stimulation
0.1ms duration
May need to adjust
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Motor NCS parameters
Latency
Onset
Time (mS)
Amplitude
Baseline to peak
Electrical signal (mV)
Muscle contraction
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Motor NCS
Conduction velocity: two
points in time
Rate = distance/ time
So 2 points are needed
I.e.. CV = 20cm/4ms
Cannot record a distal
conduction
Why?
Neuromuscular junction
Cannot accurately
calculate time
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Conduction Velocity
Rate = distance/ time
E.g.. Median Nerve:
Distal latency: 4ms
Proximal latency: 8ms
Measure:
20cm between 2 sites
CV = d/ t
CV = 20cm/ 8ms-4ms
CV = 20cm/ 4ms
CV = 200mm/ 4ms
CV = 200 m/ 4s
CV = 50 m/s
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Motor NCS parameters
Area
Not used frequently
Used when considering
conduction block
Often calculated
automatically by modern
machines
Duration of waveform
Temporal dispersion
Demyelinating disease
Or with severe axonal
loss
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Sensory Nerve conduction studies
Summation of all sensory
nerve fiber action
potentials
SNAP (sensory nerve action
potential)
Fibers are of mixed type:
Large/ small
Myelinated/
unmyelinated
Small
μVolts
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DRG
External to the spinal cord
May be located in
intervertebral foramen
Lesions may be proximal to
DRG
Important consideration
Distal axon and DRG may be
spared
Therefore Sensory NCS
may be normal
Despite symptoms!
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Sensory NCS parameters
Latency (ms)
Onset
Peak: more commonly used
More reproducible/ consistent
Amplitude (μV)
Baseline to peak
Peak to peak
Duration
Conduction velocity
Can calculate a distal velocity
Use onset latency for CV
Fastest fibers
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Sensory NCS
Antidromic
Anti: “against” or opposite
I.e.. Against natural conduction
Stimulate proximal, record distal
Orthodromic
Ortho: “right” or correct
I.e.. Natural direction of sensation
Stimulate distal; record proximal
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Antidromic SNCS
More common
Why?
In general, easier
Higher amplitude responses
Sensory nerve is more
superficial in distal skin
Easier to obtain and
record
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Antidromic Sensory NCS
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Orthodromic Sensory NCS
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“Mixed” nerve studies
Motor is pure motor: belly-tendon montage
Recording muscle
Sensory NCS should record only sensory fibers
Record over skin
Evaluate SNAP
But, some nerves recorded are mixed
Both sensory and motor fibers present
Stimulation
Recording site
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“Mixed” nerve studies
Palmar studies
Tarsal Tunnel studies (plantar nerve)
Specialized studies
Evaluating one specific lesion
Carpal tunnel syndrome
Tarsal tunnel syndrome
Not pure sensory potentials
Cannot assess integrity of sensory nerve/DRG
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Mixed NCS
Palmar record over wrist
Median and ulnar
Both motor and sensory
fibers present
Stimulate in palm
Both motor and sensory
fibers present
Comparison of latencies
Amplitude is less relevant
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Other considerations in NCS
Physiologic temporal dispersion
Not all dispersion is pathologic
Proximal amplitudes are lower than distal
Double check your results!
Why?
Loss of synchrony over longer distances
Proximal nerves are deeper and more difficult to stimulate
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Averaging
Used for low amplitude
sensory nerve potentials
Additive waveforms confirm
+ presence of SNAP
Subtracts out artifact
Lateral antebrachial cutaneous sensory responses
Effect of averaging: 1, 2, 6, 10 responses
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Routinely evaluated nerves
Motor:
Tibial, Fibular (peroneal)
Median, Ulnar
Sensory
Sural
Median, Ulnar
Mixed
Palmars
Carpal Tunnel syndrome only
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Commonly evaluated nerves
Motor:
Radial
Sensory:
Superficial Fibular (Peroneal)
Radial
Medial antebrachial cutaneous
Lateral antebrachial cutaneous
Dorsal Ulnar cutaneous
Mixed:
Medial and Lateral plantars (tarsal tunnel)
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Late Responses: F waves/ H reflexes
Both are used to answer a specific clinical question
F waves: primarily used to evaluate proximal
demyelination
GBS/ CIDP
Radiculopathy
H reflex: used to evaluate radiculopathy
S1 nerve root
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F waves
Electrical signal travelling up to anterior horn cell
“bounces” back
NOT a reflex
Wave traveling up and back down motor axons
Proportion of axons
Differs with each stimulus
So each waveform varies
Reflects speed of conduction
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F-wave utility
Radiculopathy
Demyelinating (ie nerve root compression)
May be prolonged
Axonal
May disappear
Demyelinating disease
Early: may have no change
Mid-course: delay in F-wave latency
Late/ severe: loss of F-wave
F-wave absent/ not recorded
Can be normal occurrence
Especially in median and radial nerves
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F wave parameters
Latency
ms
“Normal”
Upper limit of normal
Depends on height
Either for short or tall
persons
Need a normogram
Calculate expected time
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Late Response: H reflex
True reflex
Afferent loop: Ia sensory
fibers
Efferent loop: Motor axons
Actual synapse
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H reflex
S1 nerve root
Tibial N. stim
recording from gastrocnemius
Other H reflex responses are difficult to elicit
H reflex largest with submaximal stimulation
As stimulation increases
H reflex diminishes
M-wave (motor response) increases
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H reflex utility
Proximal damage to either sensory or motor pathway
Radiculopathies
Avulsion
Side to side comparison
Tibial nerve studied most often
upper limit of normal latency is 35 ms
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NCS: Basic Interpretations
Amplitude: related to the # of axons in a nerve
Latency: a marker of time; therefore, most affected by demyelinating processes
Conduction velocity: speed; can be affected by both axonal loss and demyelination
Large, fast conducting fibers are lost
Moderate slowing
Demyelination
Marked slowing
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Normal Values
Vary lab to lab
No universal standards
General principles apply
Side to side variability
< 50% difference
amplitude
Physiologic temporal dispersion
<20 % drop in amplitude
Comparison studies
< 0.2 or 0.3 ms difference
In general
Conduction velocities
Motor NCS
Legs > 40 M/s
Arms > 50 M/s
Sensory NCS
10 M/s faster
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Conduction Velocity
Determined by the fastest
conducting fibers
Motor NCS
Legs: 40 M/s
Arms: 50 M/s
Sensory CV about 10 M/s
faster
Axonal loss can produce
slowing
<2/3 LLN
Legs > 30 M/s
Arms > 40 M/s
Demyelination
Produces significant slowing
> 2/3 LLN
Legs < 30 M/s
Arms < 40 M/s
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Axonal Loss
Most Neuropathies
LE > UE
Distal > proximal
Sensory > Motor
So a NCS study in a patient with Neuropathy
Low amplitudes, more severe in the legs than arms
Loss of sensory responses in legs early on
CV slowing > 2/3 LLN
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Demyelinating Process
Hereditary
Uniform slowing
Across all segments
Uniform waveform shape
CMAPs
Profound slowing
Acquired
Non-uniform process
Conduction block
Non-compressible
segments
Temporal dispersion
Increased variability in
range of velocities
Some nerves affected more
than others
MMN
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Focal vs. Generalized
Focal lesion
Either axonal or
demyelinating
Compression
Demyelinating
CTS, ulnar neuropathy
Axonal
Mononeuritis
multiplex
Nerve transection
Generalized
More often due to systemic
process
Axonal
Polyneuropathy
Demyelinating
GBS
CIDP
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Safety Considerations
For NCS
Generally very safe
EMG/NCS machine electrically certified
Checked annually to rule out “leak”
Grounded outlet
Do not create an electric circuit through patient
Ie. Bed unplugged, no other devices attached to pt
But, studies are done in ICUs routinely, with precautions
Pacemaker: not a problem if one stays distal and ground is near stimulator
Other devices: turn off if possible (artifact!)
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Technical Problems
Temperature
Incorrect measurements
Inter-electrode distance
(too far or too close)
Background interference/
noise
Incomplete circuit
I.e.: check to make sure
electrodes are plugged in!
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Temperature
Very important
Commonly ignored/ missed
0.2ms/ degree centigrade
Arms > 31 °C
Legs > 30 ° C
Must check distal limb
Thermistor
Infrared temperature probe
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Summary: NCS
Easily tolerated, safe
Must be consistent in technique
Intralab normal values
Monitor for technical issues
Very sensitive to axonal loss
Very specific for demyelinating disease