Neurology
HOME HELP FEEDBACK SUBSCRIPTIONS ARCHIVE SEARCH TABLE OF CONTENTS
QUICK SEARCH:   [advanced]


     

This Article
Right arrow Full Text (PDF)
Right arrow Correspondence:
Submit a response
Right arrow Alert me when this article is cited
Right arrow Alert me when Correspondence are posted
Right arrow Alert me if a correction is posted
Services
Right arrow Email this article to a friend
Right arrow Similar articles in this journal
Right arrow Similar articles in PubMed
Right arrow Alert me to new issues of the journal
Right arrow Download to citation manager
Right arrow reprints & permissions
Citing Articles
Right arrow Citing Articles via Google Scholar
Google Scholar
Right arrow Articles by Olney, R. K.
Right arrow Articles by Aminoff, M. J.
Right arrow Search for Related Content
PubMed
Right arrow PubMed Citation
Right arrow Articles by Olney, R. K.
Right arrow Articles by Aminoff, M. J.
NEUROLOGY 1990;40:471
© 1990 American Academy of Neurology

Electrodiagnostic features of the Guillain-Barré syndrome

The relative sensitivity of different techniques

Richard K. Olney, MD and Michael J. Aminoff, MD, FRCP

Department of Neurology, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA.

We compared the diagnostic sensitivity of somatosensory evoked potentials (SEPs) and F waves with peripheral motor and sensory nerve conduction studies in 15 patients with the Guillain-Barré syndrome. All 4 types of studies were performed on 44 nerves (17 median, 12 ulnar, and 15 lower extremity). In the lower extremities, we used the peroneal nerves for all types of study except peripheral sensory conduction studies, which were performed on the sural nerve. We detected abnormalities by peripheral motor conduction studies in 33 of 44 nerves, by F waves in 31, by SEPs in 23, and by peripheral sensory conduction in 17. The cumulative sensitivity increased with the testing of multiple nerves by motor nerve conduction, sensory nerve conduction, and F-wave studies, but not with multiple SEPs. F-wave studies were significantly more sensitive than SEPs in identifying abnormalities. Thus, the recording of SEPs is indicated for diagnosis of the Guillain-Barré syndrome only if peripheral nerve conduction and F-wave studies are normal.

Address correspondence and reprint requests to Dr. Richard K. Olney, Department of Neurology, Room M-794, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94143–0114.

Received June 6,1989. Accepted for publication in final form August 22,1989.






HOME HELP FEEDBACK SUBSCRIPTIONS ARCHIVE SEARCH TABLE OF CONTENTS
Copyright © 1990 by AAN Enterprises, Inc.