Comparison of automated versus traditional nerve conduction study methods for median nerve testing in a general worker population

Details

• Personal Author:
  Agboola F ; Al-Lozi MT ; Dale, Ann M. ; Evanoff B ; Yun A ; Zeringue A
• Description:
  Objective: To investigate the validity of automated nerve conduction studies compared to traditional electrodiagnostic studies (EDS) for testing median nerve abnormalities in a working population. Design: Agreement study and sensitivity investigation from 2 devices. Setting: Field research testing laboratory. Participants: Active workers from several industries participating in a longitudinal study of carpal tunnel syndrome. Methods: Sixty-two subjects received bilateral median and ulnar nerve conduction testing across the wrist with a traditional device and the NC-stat automated device. We compared the intermethod agreement of analogous measurements. Main outcome measurement: Nerve conduction study parameters. Results: Median motor and sensory latency comparisons showed excellent agreement (intraclass correlation coefficients 0.85 and 0.80, respectively). Areas under the receiver operating characteristic curves were 0.97 and 0.96, respectively, using the optimal thresholds of 4.4-millisecond median motor latency (sensitivity 100%, specificity 86%) and 3.9-millisecond median sensory latency (sensitivity 100%, specificity 87%). Ulnar nerve testing results were less favorable. Conclusion: The automated NC-stat device showed excellent agreement with traditional EDS for detecting median nerve conduction abnormalities in a general population of workers, suggesting that this automated nerve conduction device can be used to ascertain research case definitions of carpal tunnel syndrome in population health studies. Further study is needed to determine optimal thresholds for defining median conduction abnormalities in populations that are not seeking clinical care. [Description provided by NIOSH]
• Subjects:
  Laboratories Musculoskeletal Diseases Musculoskeletal System Nervous System Nervous System Diseases Occupational Health Safety
• Keywords:
  Carpal Tunnel Syndrome Hand Injuries Laboratory Testing Nerve Function Nervous System Disorders Repetitive Work Upper Extremities
• ISSN:
  1934-1482
• Document Type:
  Text
• Funding:
  Grant
• Genre:
  Journal Article
• Place as Subject:
  Missouri ; OSHA Region 7
• CIO:
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH)
• Topic:
  Workplace Safety & Health
• Location:
  North America
• Pages in Document:
  276-282
• Volume:
  7
• Issue:
  3
• NIOSHTIC Number:
  nn:20047201
• Citation:
  Phys Med Rehabil 2015 Mar; 7(3):276-282
• Contact Point Address:
  Ann Marie Dale, PhD, Division of General Medical Sciences and Neurology, Washington University School of Medicine, 660 S. Euclid Ave, Campus Box 8005, St Louis, MO 63110
• Email:
  adale@dom.wustl.edu
• Federal Fiscal Year:
  2015
• NORA Priority Area:
  Construction ; Manufacturing
• Performing Organization:
  Washington University - St. Louis, Missouri
• Peer Reviewed:
  True
• Start Date:
  20040601
• Source Full Name:
  Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation
• End Date:
  20151231
• Collection(s):
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health
• Main Document Checksum:
  urn:sha-512:1afd3d691912119c9643221fea7491967fd1194632dd16c652d195b7bd24dab68145bf4e72d23cc7c8c4e1016645da695d615ceaa6623a6300a842963d801a36
• Download URL:
  https://stacks.cdc.gov/view/cdc/202360/cdc_202360_DS1.pdf
• File Type:
  [PDF - 590.62 KB ]