Electrophysiological Evaluation of the Peripheral Nerves of the Upper Extremities in Patients of Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease

Introduction: Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), the fourth leading cause of death, is a major health problem. COPD has been implicated as one of the causes of peripheral neuropathy. The influence of COPD in the peripheral nervous system has been the subject of clinical investigation only in the recent years. This study aimed at evaluating the nerve conduction velocity (NCV) and amplitude of peripheral motor and sensory nerves of the median and ulnar nerves of the upper extremities in patients of COPD when compared to healthy normal subjects.

Material and Method: The subjects (COPD patients and healthy volunteers) were assessed for anthropometric measurements, the pulmonary function tests and SpO2 levels. They were subjected for the nerve conduction test, of the median and ulnar nerves of the upper extremities

Results: A significant decrease in the NCV and amplitude for the median and ulnar nerves (both the components) at p value < 0.001was found in the COPD patients when compared to the control group, irrespective of the causative factor for COPD.

Conclusion: The presence of peripheral neuropathy was confirmed in COPD patients when compared to healthy control group, as the NCV and amplitudes of peripheral nerves (median and ulnar) of the upper extremities were found to be decreased in COPD patients.