Detection of central and peripheral nervous affection in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease : somatosensory evoked potentials and nerve conduction studies

Abstract EN

The central effect of hypoxia was studied in 20 patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) by somatosensory evoked potentials (SEPs) of ulnar median and tibial nerves.

Routine nerve conduction studies were also performed for the examined nerves.

The values were compared to those of 10 normal control subjects.

The central as well as peripheral electrophysiological variables were correlated to pulmonary fimction tests and blood gases changes.

The aim of this study was to evaluate the central and peripheral neurological changes of hypoxia regarding their frequency, pattern of affection, and their relation to blood gas changes in order to diagnose the neurological complications of COPD and properly interpret changes in those electrophysiological variables in cases with hypoxemia.

The results of this study showed that hypoxia ajfi'cts both peripheral and central parts of the nervous system with higher per entage ofcentral affection.

Also higher percentage of sensory affection was jound in all examined peripheral nerves compared to motor affection.

The effect of hypoxia tends to be generalized leading to more polyneuropathic affection rather than mononeuropathy.

We conclude that hypoxia has a detrimental effect on central and peripheral nervous system.

We recommend the use of central and peripheral electrophysiological studies to determine disease severity in COPD.