Effect of aging on sensory nerve conduction study parameters

Abstract

Research evaluating the changes in nerve conduction with time has been limited to cross-sectional studies. We present a cohort study estimating how sensory nerve conduction study (NCS) parameters change with time when subjects are measured at two time-points. We evaluated 440 working adults by performing median and ulnar antidromic sensory NCS of both hands on two occasions, about 5.4 years (range, 4.3-7.0 years) apart. The rate of change in the NCS parameters was estimated using a mixed-models analysis controlling for each hand, gender, age, and body mass index (BMI). After controlling for gender, age, height, and BMI, the amplitudes of the median sensory nerve action potentials (SNAP) decreased by about 2.3 microV, peak latencies increased by 0.11 ms, onset latencies increased by 0.07 ms, and conduction velocities decreased by 1.1 m/s over 5 years. Corresponding values for the ulnar nerve were 1.75 microV, 0.06 ms, 0.04 ms, and 0.71 m/s, respectively. The findings are consistent with the findings of previous cross-sectional studies. The rate of change over time was not affected by hand (dominant versus nondominant hand), gender, age, or BMI at baseline. The rate of change seen with some of the median nerve parameters was significantly greater than that with the ulnar nerve.

A study on median nerve conduction velocity in different age groups

“…The results related well with the study by Tong et al 5 who in his prospective cohort study found median sensory velocities to decrease at a rate of 0.14 m/a per year of age, and Werner et al 6 observed a decrease in conduction velocity at a rate of 0.41 m/s per.…”

Effect of Aging and Anthropometric Measurements on Nerve Conduction Properties - A Review

“…Tong et al (2004) reported the rate of change over time was not affected by hand (dominant versus non-dominant hand), gender, age, or BMI at baseline. The rate of change seen with some of the median nerve parameters was significantly greater than that with the ulnar nerve.…”

Influence of age, height, gender on median and ulnar nerve conduction study

“…Similar results have been observed by many investigators. Tong et al [15] studied the ulnar sensory CV and it was shown that there was a significant and substantial decline in values of sensory NCV with increasing age in men, whereas, Awang et al [14] reported that only median motor conduction velocity showed a significant reduction with increasing age and concluded that there is no significant effect of age on NCVs except for median motor conduction velocity. Our results show a significant correlation between age and NCV of both median and ulnar nerves.…”