Key result
Polio survivors exhibited a significant increase in repeater F-waves and reduced F-wave persistence compared with healthy controls, indicating motor unit pathology.
Why the study?
Do F-waves reveal electrophysiological features of anterior horn cells in polio survivors compared to healthy controls?
Case-Control (n=63)
Do F-waves reveal electrophysiological features of anterior horn cells in polio survivors compared to healthy controls?
Repeater F-waves and reduced F-wave persistence are characteristic signs of motor unit pathology in polio survivors.
F-wave changes may aid detection of motor unit pathology in polio survivors; hypothesis-generating and leaves open prospective validation before clinical use.
INTRODUCTION: The purpose of this study was to determine whether F-waves reveal electrophysiological features of anterior horn cells in polio survivors. METHODS: Forty-three polio survivors and 20 healthy controls underwent motor nerve conduction studies of the median and tibial nerves bilaterally, including sampling of F-waves elicited by 100 stimuli and the determination of motor unit number estimation (MUNE). RESULTS: A significant increase in abnormally stereotyped ("repeater") F-waves and a reduction of F-wave persistence were observed in both nerves in the polio group as compared with the control group. Repeater F-waves had a negative correlation with MUNE. CONCLUSIONS: These trends in F-wave persistence and repeater F-waves after motor unit loss are characteristic findings in polio survivors. Repeater F-waves are a sign of motor unit pathology.
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Hachisuka et al. (2014) conducted a case-control in Polio survivors (n=63). Prior polio infection vs. Healthy controls was evaluated on Repeater F-waves and F-wave persistence. Polio survivors exhibited a significant increase in repeater F-waves and reduced F-wave persistence compared with healthy controls, indicating motor unit pathology.
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