Results support the differing effects of demyelinating and axonal injury on F-waves and suggest that the mF/M-amp ratio and FwCV, which is influenced by neuronal damages in the distal segment of the median nerve, is useful in the discrimination of CTS severity.

The aim of this study was to evaluate the efficacy of steroid injection for the treatment of the carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS), with F-wave parameters and sympathetic skin response (SSR). Seventeen hands of 10 women patients were treated with local steroid injection with 2-month follow-up. All patients underwent single injection into the carpal tunnel. Response to injection was measured nerve conduction studies (NCSs), median nerve F waves, and SSR before and after treatment. To determine the normal values, 42 hands of 21 healthy women were also studied. There was a significant improvement of sensory and motor nerve conduction values when compared to baseline values (P < 0.01). At the end of follow-up period, the median sensory distal latency and the sensory latency differences between the median and the ulnar nerve were improved 35 and 65%, respectively. The maximum, mean F-wave amplitudes and chronodispersion showed a slight improvement with respect to baseline values and controls, but statistical significance was not achieved after treatment. Although no statistically significant improvements were observed in SSR parameters, slightly decreased amplitudes and increased habituation of SSR were noted at the end of the treatment. The present study shows that the local steroid injection results in improvement in NCSs values, but the F-wave parameters were not effectual in short-term outcome of CTS treatment. These findings suggest that the sensory latency differences between the median and the ulnar wrist-to-digit 4 are better parameters in the median nerve recovery after treatment than the median sensory distal latency. Furthermore, the SSR does not seem to be a sensitive method in follow-up of CTS treatment.

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OBJECTIVE: Here, we aimed at investigating whether the treatment with antidepressants is associated with restless legs syndrome (RLS) and at determining the effects of mono or combined antidepressant therapy on the patients with RLS. METHODS: Five hundred and fifty-five patients with RLS receiving mono or combined antidepressant therapy were included in the study group, and 555 individuals with no history of the use of antidepressants constituted the control group. The diagnosis of restless leg syndrome was performed using a questionnaire under the criteria formed by the International Restless Leg Syndrome Study Group. RESULTS: Both the patients treated with antidepressants in the study group and those in the control group had similar demographic characteristics. The prevalence of RLS was detected as 9.2% (n = 51) in the study group treated with antidepressants and as 5.9% (n = 33) in the controls. The difference was statistically significant at borderline (p = 0.053). While restless leg syndrome was diagnosed merely in 9 (6.8%) of 133 patients receiving combined treatment, 42 (10%) of 422 patients receiving monotherapy were diagnosed with RLS, and the difference was not statistically significant (p = 0.306). The frequency of developing restless leg syndrome was found to be significant only in the use of escitalopram (p = 0.023), whereas it was found to have a tendency to significant in the use of duloxetine (p = 0.060). Among other participants receiving mono or combined treatment, no significant difference was observed. CONCLUSIONS: The occurrence of RLS can be seen as an adverse effect in the patients receiving mono or combined antidepressant treatment; however, the frequency of restless leg syndrome among those treated with antidepressants is similar to that seen in general population. ARTICLE HISTORY