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    Diabetes Care. 2008 Mar;31(3):522-4. Epub 2007 Dec 10.

    Multi-site testing with a point-of-care nerve conduction device can be used in an algorithm to diagnose diabetic sensorimotor polyneuropathy.

    Perkins BA, Orszag A, Grewal J, Ng E, Ngo M, Bril V.

    Division of Endocrinology, University Health Network, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada. bruce.perkins@uhn.on.ca

    OBJECTIVE: We aimed to establish whether multi-nerve testing with a point-of-care nerve conduction device could be used to diagnose diabetic sensorimotor polyneuropathy. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS: A total of 72 consecutive patients with diabetes underwent a full neurological examination and a concurrent evaluation for nine standard electrophysiological parameters using conventional nerve conduction studies (the reference standard) and a point-of-care device. RESULTS: Spearman coefficients for correlation of point-of-care and conventional parameters ranged between 0.76 and 0.91 (P < 0.001 in all comparisons). Agreement by the method of Bland and Altman was acceptable despite small systematic biases. Fifty subjects (69%) had neuropathy according to conventional criteria. The sensitivity and specificity for the point-of-care device to identify such neuropathy was 88 and 82%, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: A novel point-of-care device has reasonable diagnostic accuracy and thus may represent a sufficiently accurate alternative for detecting the diffuse electrophysiological criteria necessary to make the diagnosis of diabetic sensorimotor polyneuropathy.

    PMID: 18070992 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]

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