Reproducibility of neurophysiological and myometric measurement in the ulnar nerve–abductor digiti minimi system

Abstract

Reliability in strength and neurophysiological measurements is important in evaluating progression of neuromuscular diseases. No data are available on the variability of neurophysiological parameters as compared with maximal voluntary isometric contraction (MVIC) in the same muscles, in healthy subjects. A control population of 26 healthy subjects was studied twice on different days. We evaluated the reliability of neurophysiological parameters obtained from bilateral ulnar nerve stimulation, recording the response over the abductor digiti minimi (ADM) muscle, including distal motor latency, compound muscle potential amplitude and area, F-wave frequency and mean F-wave latency, and the derived neurophysiological index that we have described previously. MVIC force was measured in each session in both ADM muscles. The variances between the grouped data obtained in the two recording sessions were identical, indicating a low intrinsic variability with this experimental methodology. Comparison of the mean values obtained in the two sessions revealed no statistically significant differences. The reliability of these neurophysiological and strength measurements in the same nerve/muscle system suggests they may be useful in comparing the dynamics of weakness and neurophysiological change in neuromuscular disease.