Which parameter is more reliable in a cold hand, NCV or latency.

Abstract

Temperature affects distal sensory & motor latencies & nerve conduction velocity but not necessarily at the same degree. Purpose of this study is to see which one is affected less and thus could be more reliable in cold conditions. A total of 32 healthy individuals with age range of 18-28 years (mean 22.25 +/- 2.2) participated in this study. Skin Temperature was recorded at wrist. Distal median motor & sensory latencies and transcarpal median NCV were recorded before and after immersion in cold water. Statistical analysis was performed using paired t-test with SPSS. All parameters were affected by cold but the effect was less dramatic in transcarpal NCV. Transcarpal median NCV is least affected parameter by cold, so it may be more reliable than sensory & motor latencies at wrist.