The relationship between fatigue, neuropathic pain, and neurophysiological features in carpal tunnel syndrome

Abstract

Introduction: Carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS) is the most common entrapment mononeuropathy and can affect patients' daily living activities. In this study, it was aimed to find out whether there is a relationship between fatigue, neuropathic pain and neurophysiological features in CTS.
 Material and Method: Patients with clinical features compatible with CTS were included in this retrospective study. Median nerve compound muscle action potential (CMAP) and compound nerve action potential (CNAP) of the patients were analyzed. The Turkish version of the Fatigue Severity Scale (FSS) was administered to all patients. Patients with a mean FSS score of ≥4 were considered to have fatigue. In addition, Leeds Assessment of Neuropathic Symptoms and Signs (LANSS) was applied to some patients. If the LANSS score was 12 or higher, these patients were considered to have neuropathic pain.
 Results: Thirty-two female and eight male CTS patients were included in the study. Thirty-two patients had clinically bilateral CTS and eight patients had right-sided CTS. FSS and LANSS were administered to 40 and 18 patients, respectively. There were 29 CTS patients (72.5%) with an FSS score ≥ 4. CNAP/CMAP amplitudes and sensory/motor nerve conduction velocities of patients with fatigue were lower than those without fatigue (p