Background and PurposeElectrodiagnostic studies can be used to confirm the diagnosis of lumbosacral radiculopathies, but more sensitive diagnostic methods are often needed to measure the ensuing motor neuronal loss and sympathetic failure.MethodsTwenty-six patients with lumbar radiculopathy and 30 controls were investigated using nerve conduction studies, motor unit number estimation (MUNE), testing of the sympathetic skin response (SSR), quantitative electromyography (QEMG), and magnetic resonance myelography (MRM).ResultsUsing QEMG as the gold standard, the sensitivity and specificity of MUNE for the abductor hallucis longus muscle were 71.4% and 70%, respectively. While they were 75% and 68.8%, respectively, when used MRM as gold standard. The sensitivity and specificity of MUNE for the extensor digitorum brevis muscle were 100% and 84.1%, respectively, when the peroneal motor amplitude as the gold standard. The SSR latency was slightly longer in the patients than in the controls.ConclusionsMUNE is a simple and sensitive test for evaluating autonomic function and for diagnosing lumbosacral radiculopathy in patients. MUNE could be used routinely as a guide for the rehabilitation of patients with radiculopathies. SSR measurements may reveal subtle sympathetic abnormalities in patients with lumbosacral radiculopathy.
The Middle Black Sea Region was found to have a high risk for the prevalence of MS. This study is the most comprehensive epidemiologic study having the largest geographical distribution on the prevalence of MS in Turkey.
Our results indicate that MEFV gene mutations do not affect the neurologic prognosis in patients with MS. However, additional research studies involving more patients with MS and clinical forms are warranted to confirm our results.
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.