Abstract Details

Neurophysiological screening criteria for sensory ganglionopathy

Background and aim

Pure sensory neuropathies involving the dorsal root ganglia are commonly referred to as sensory ganglionopathies (SG). Causes of SG can be inherited (such as Friedreich’s ataxia) or acquired (such as be immune mediated and paraneoplastic). Diagnostic criteria for confirming SG have been published and consist of a combination of clinical and neurophysiological parameters. The aim of our study was to develop  set up a pure neurophysiological method for rapid ly screening for SG.

 

Methods

For each subject we obtained the sensory nerve action potentials (SNAP) of five nerves (median, ulnar, radial, sural and superficial peroneal) bilaterally. In presence of an entrapment neuropathy we obtained the SNAP of medial antebrachial cutaneous bilaterally. We estimated the number of pairs of nerves showing a SNAP asymmetry of >50% (difference of SNAPs/ lower SNAP).

 

Results

Sixty four subjects, 32 patients with SG and 32 age and sex-matched controls, participated in the study.

 

Among all subjects using a receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis, the area under the curve was 0.967 (95% CI, 0.921 to 1.000; SE, 0.034; p<0.001). In order to detect SG, presence of SNAP asymmetry of >50% in 2 pairs of nerves, not explained by an entrapment neuropathy, shows a sensitivity of 96.9%, a specificity of 93.8%, a positive predictive value of 93.9% and a negative predictive value of 96.8%.

 

Conclusion

The number of pairs of nerves showing a SNAP asymmetry of >50% may be used as a novel rapid screening tool of patients with SG.

TitleForenamesSurnameInstitutionLead AuthorPresenter
DrPanagiotisZisSheffield Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust
ProfMariosHadjivassiliouSheffield Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust
DrPtolemaiosSarrigiannisSheffield Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust
DrGaneshRaoSheffield Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust
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