Author/Editor		Meh, Duška; Denišlič, Miro
Title		Diagnostic sensitivity of neurophysiological tests in multiple sclerosis
Type		članek
Source		In: INABIS 2000. 6th internet world congress for biomedical science; 2000 Feb 14-25; La Mancha; Spain. La Mancha: Spanish society of health informatics,
Publication year		2000
Language		eng
Abstract		The diagnosis of multiple sclerosis is clinical, although various laboratory, neurophysiological and neuroimaging tests play an important role in the diagnostic procedure. In our preliminary study, the frequency of clinically overt and silent functionally important abnormalities was determined in 18 patients with definite multiple sclerosis and the sensitivity of diverse psychophysical and electrophysiological methods was examined. Different electrodiagnostic approaches (evoked potentials recording, autonomic function evaluation, sensory and motor conduction studies), psychophysical (thermotest and vibrametry) and imaging methods (magnetic resonance imaging) were used. Additionally, the correlation of the number of abnormalities with different parameters (age of the patients, disease duration and Kurtzke expanded disability status scale) was calculated. Thermal specific and/or thermal pain sensitivities were altered in 89 % of the patients with definite multiple sclerosis, while vibration sensitivity was impaired in 67 % of the patients. The sympathetic nervous system of the foot and of the hand was impaired in 78 % and 39 % of MS patients, respectively. Parasympathetic impairment was less frequent (in 28 %). The visual evoked potentials showed abnormalities in 94 % of MS patients, brainstem auditory evoked potentials in 33 %, somatosensory potentials in 61 % (median nerve) and in 83 % (tibial nerve). The motor and sensory conduction studies were within normal limits in all patients. The combination thermotest - sympathetic skin response of the foot and thermotest - visual evoked potentials proved functionally important abnormalities in 100 % of the patients. The number of abnormalities was related solely to the Kurtzke expanded disability score.
Descriptors		MULTIPLE SCLEROSIS SENSATION DISORDERS NEUROPHYSIOLOGY THERMAL CONDUCTIVITY VIBRATION NEURAL CONDUCTION DIAGNOSTIC IMAGING PAIN EVOKED POTENTIALS, AUDITORY, BRAIN STEM EVOKED POTENTIALS, SOMATOSENSORY EVOKED POTENTIALS, VISUAL