The nerve conduction variables in relation to academic performance among male medical students at King Saud bin Abdulaziz University for Health Sciences: an exploratory observational study

Introduction Peripheral nerve conduction parameters vary between individuals and may reflect differences in peripheral neurophysiological function. This exploratory observational study examined whether ulnar nerve conduction measures and reaction time were associated with academic indicators among male medical students. The study was designed to provide preliminary evidence regarding possible associations between peripheral electrophysiological measures and academic performance among medical students. Methods A total of 54 male medical students at King Saud bin Abdulaziz University for Health Sciences (mean age: 21.26 ± 0.76 years) were enrolled in this observational study. Ulnar nerve function was evaluated using standard nerve conduction tests with a focus on latency and velocity through the wrist and elbow. Reaction time was assessed using a computerized task. Academic measures including university GPA, high school GPA, the General Aptitude Test (GAT), and the Scholastic Achievement Admission Test (SAAT) scores, were recorded. Associations were assessed using Spearman’s or Pearson’s correlation, as appropriate based on normality testing (Shapiro–Wilk). Results The primary analysis did not support an association between ulnar nerve velocity and university GPA. All statistically significant findings were from secondary exploratory analyses and were not corrected for multiple comparisons. Statistical analyses indicated an exploratory negative correlation between wrist latency and high school GPA ( r = −0.319, p = 0.018) and university GPA showed a preliminary negative correlation with age ( r = −0.291, p = 0.032). A significant positive correlation between university GPA and SAAT scores was observed ( r = 0.272, p = 0.046). Moreover, SAAT score showed an exploratory positive association with elbow latency ( r = 0.329, p = 0.015). The mean reaction time was 254.0 ms and showed no statistically significant correlations with GPA, GAT, or SAAT scores. In addition, academic indicators were self-reported which may introduce recall and social desirability bias. Nevertheless, the findings suggest that some academic indicators, such as high school GPA, are possibly correlated with neural conduction traits. Discussion These initial findings suggest exploratory associations between selected peripheral nerve conduction measures and academic indicators. Importantly, all secondary significant findings were uncorrected for multiple comparisons and should be treated as preliminary. Future research in additional subjects and verified records is justified to explore this relationship further.