Introduction: Most neurophysiology departments around the world establish their own normative data. However, ethnic differences are not taken into account. Our aim was to establish normal nerve conduction studies (NCS) data for routinely tested nerves in individuals of Pakistani (South Asian) origin and to compare with Western published data. Materials and Methods: One hundred healthy adults’ nerves were assessed, using standardized techniques. Individuals were grouped into age groups. Gender differences were assessed. Results: Of the 100 volunteers, 49 were female and 51 were male. Their mean age was 39.8 years. Findings showed statistically significant prolongation of median distal motor latency (DML) and F-wave latency with age and reduction of median, ulnar, and sural sensory amplitudes as age increased. Gender differences showed consistent difference in the normal values for median, ulnar, and peroneal DMLs and respective F-wave latencies, which were significantly shorter in females. Sensory amplitudes of tested upper extremity nerves were significantly lower in males. Comparing with available data, our findings are similar to the Saudi population but significantly different from the American and multiethnic Malaysian populations. Pakistani individuals generally have significantly higher amplitudes and faster conduction velocities with similarities to South Asian studies. Conclusions: We recommend normative NCS parameters for commonly tested nerves for the Pakistani population, using standardized techniques to ensure highest quality testing and outcomes.

It occurs in one of three distinct types; 1) postinfectious or autoimmune encephalomyelitis, which presents as a sudden recurrence of fever with an altered level of consciousness, seizure activity, and multifocal neurological signs, 2) subacute measles encephalitis (SME; also called subacute inclusion body encephalopathy and progressive infections measles encephalitis) occurring in immunosuppressed patients 1-10 months after measles infection, and 3) subacute sclerosing panencephalitis (SSPE), which presents after six or more years from an acute measles infection with the onset of neurological dysfunction ABSTRACT: Background: Subacute sclerosing panencephalitis (SSPE) is a rare complication of measles virus infection. The disease is characterized by behavioural abnormalities, intellectual deterioration, motor weakness, and generalized myoclonic jerks progressing to coma and death in one to two years in 80% of the cases. The myoclonic jerks are associated with characteristic generalized slow periodic complexes on electroencephalography (EEG). The symptoms and signs of SSPE are frequently quite variable. The clinical course is equally variable and difficult to predict. The characteristic periodic myoclonus can rarely occur unilaterally particularly in the early stages of the disease. As well, the periodic EEG complexes have been reported unilaterally in up to 3% of cases. Case Report: A 12-year-old boy, who was seen at a later stage with atypical manifestation of myoclonic body jerks confined entirely unilaterally, combined with contralateral periodic EEG complexes. One could assume clinically that the more diseased hemisphere was responsible for generating the jerks. However, brain magnetic resonance imaging revealed asymmetric hemispheric changes suggesting that the less neurologically damaged hemisphere is responsible for generating the unilateral myoclonic jerks. This has led to the interpretation that the more severely damaged hemisphere has lost the neuronal connectivity required to generate these periodic myoclonic jerks. Conclusions: Subacute sclerosing panencephalitis may have asymmetric hemispheric involvement, not only early, but also in the advanced stages of the disease, which can result in unilateral periodic myoclonic jerks.

We compared the clinical and electrophysiological findings in seven patients with familial amyloid polyneuropathy (FAP) and six with hereditary sensory and autonomic neuropathy type I (HSAN). Both groups had progressive loss of pain and temperature appreciation, beginning distally in the feet. In HSAN, the median sensory nerve action potentials (SNAP) were lost early, but the sympathetic skin responses (SSR) were always preserved. In FAP, the SSR were lost at an early stage. The SSR may thus help to distinguish between these two causes of small‐fiber neuropathy early in the course of the disorder. © 1999 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. Muscle Nerve 22: 1283–1286, 1999

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