Reference values for nerve conduction studies of the peroneal, tibial, and sural nerve derived from a large population‐based cohort: Associations with demographic and anthropometric characteristics—The Maastricht study

• Published in: Muscle & nerve Vol. 69; no. 5; pp. 588 - 596
• Main Authors: Hodzelmans, Jurriaan J. A., Janssen, Marcus L. F., Reulen, Jos P. H., Blijham, Paul J., Koster, Annemarie, Stehouwer, Coen D. A., Mess, Werner H., Sutedja, Nadia A.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Hoboken, USA John Wiley & Sons, Inc 01-05-2024; Wiley Subscription Services, Inc
• Subjects: Action potential; Amplitudes; anthropometric factors; Anthropometry; Body mass index; Body size; Cohorts; demographic factors; Demographics; Demography; Diabetes mellitus (non-insulin dependent); Latency; Men; Multivariate analysis; Nerve conduction; Nerves; Neuromuscular diseases; Peroneal nerve; reference values; Regression analysis; Sensory neurons; Sex; Sural nerve; the Maastricht study; demographic factors; reference values; anthropometric factors; nerve conduction; the Maastricht study
• ISSN: 0148-639X; 1097-4598
• DOI: 10.1002/mus.28076

Introduction/Aims
Nerve conduction studies (NCSs) are widely used to support the clinical diagnosis of neuromuscular disorders. The aims of this study were to obtain reference values for peroneal, tibial, and sural NCSs and to examine the associations with demographic and anthropometric factors.
Methods
In 5099 participants (aged 40–79 years) without type 2 diabetes of The Maastricht Study, NCSs of peroneal, tibial, and sural nerves were performed. Values for compound muscle action potential (CMAP) and sensory nerve action potential amplitude, nerve conduction velocity (NCV), and distal latency were acquired. The association of age, sex, body mass index (BMI), and height with NCS values was determined using uni‐ and multivariate linear regression analyses.
Results
Detailed reference values are reported per decade for men and women. Significantly lower NCVs and longer distal latencies were observed in all nerves in older and taller individuals as well as in men. In these groups, amplitudes of the tibial and sural nerves were significantly lower, whereas a lower peroneal nerve CMAP was only significantly associated with age. BMI showed a multidirectional association. After correction for anthropometric factors in the multivariate analysis, the association between sex and NCS values was less straightforward.
Discussion
These values from a population‐based dataset could be used as a reference for generating normative values. Our findings show the association of NCS values with anthropometric factors. In clinical practice, these factors can be considered when interpreting NCS values.