SUMMARY Median motor and sensory nerves were examined in 20 healthy subjects. Superficial stimulating and recording electrodes were used, and the nerves were examined at natural skin temperature, after cooling and after heating of the arm. The conduction velocity for the fastest and slow conducting sensory fibres (temperature range 1 7-37°C), and for the fastest conducting motor fibres (temperature range 19-38°C) increased non-linearly with increase in skin temperature. Similarly, distal motor latencies increased non-linearly with decrease in skin temperature. The effect of temperature was most pronounced in the low temperature range, and change in conduction velocity per degree centigrade was reduced toward higher skin temperature. Sensory nerve response duration increased linearly with decline in skin temperature. Sensory and motor amplitude did not show any significant relation to skin temperature.Nerve conduction studies have been performed in animals since 1850.' Techniques for the examination of motor nerve function in man have been established since 1948, and for sensory nerve function since 1956,23 and have later been improved. They are now widely used both in routine clinical investigation of nerve and muscle disorders, and for investigation of the possible physiological changes in nerves exposed to altered environmental influences.Temperature changes influence peripheral nerve function. To what extent and whether the effect is the same along the temperature scale, is still disputed.' 16 Nerve conduction studies are usually performed using surface electrodes, and as distal skin temperature varies, the effect of temperature is important both in routine neurophysiology and as an aspect of nerve physiology.The aim of this study was therefore to evaluate the influence of temperature changes on normal human sensory and motor nerve conduction, and to compare the results obtained to previous studies.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.