Authors: Chao Zhang Bingdi Xie Xiaowen Li Yuanrong Yao
Publish Date: 2014/03/02
Volume: 35, Issue: 8, Pages: 1209-1214
Abstract
Few objective methods have been utilized to identify the small myelinated fiber impairment causing neuropathic pain in Guillain–Barré syndrome GBS In this study contact heatevoked potentials CHEPs were applied to study the nociceptive pathway in GBS Sixty GBS patients and fifty healthy controls were enrolled The 60 GBS patients were divided into two subgroups presenting with or without subjective lower limb paresthesia 21/39 CHEPs were recorded at Cz and Pz with a peak thermal stimuli of 47 °C applied to the skin of the leg above the internal malleolus AIM and of the waist at the anterior superior iliac spine ASIS level The N2 latency and N2–P2 amplitude of CHEPs were compared When the skin of the leg AIM was stimulated the N2 latency was significantly postponed 42523 ± 2866 vs 40230 ± 1948 ms P 005 and the N2–P2 amplitude significantly decreased in GBS patients as compared to controls 3271 ± 749 vs 4277 ± 871 μV P 005 Slower nerve conduction velocity was observed in GBS patients 1184 ± 145 vs 1328 ± 066 ms P 005 However no differences in N2 latency or N2–P2 amplitude were detected between the two subgroups of GBS patients with or without subjective lower limb paresthesia P all 005 Moreover there were no differences in N2 latency and N2–P2 amplitude among different groups when the waist was stimulated at the ASIS level Our study suggested that CHEPs could be utilized as an objective and noninvasive tool to detect small myelinated fiber damage in GBS patients especially for those without subjective paresthesiaThe study was supported by the Scientific Research Foundation for the Returned Overseas Chinese Scholars State Education Ministry the National Science Foundation 30800356 81271409 Tianjin Science Foundation 07JCYBJC16200 and the Scientific Research Foundation for Talented Scholars Tianjin Medical University General Hospital
Keywords: