Journal Club: Nerve conduction study-a reliable test for children suffering from cerebral palsy

The study is recently published in the Indian Journal of Physiology and Pharmacology and published by Scientific Scholar.

We all know that Cerebral palsy is a motor impairment syndrome leading to disorders of movement and posture and screening of electrophysiological parameters Hoffman reflex becomes a necessary for the early detection and management of the disease.

This cross-sectional study was performed between children suffering from CP and healthy control. A total of 27 children of 12–24 months of age of either sex were examined. Among them, six children were normal, seven were diagnosed with spastic CP and remaining 14 children were diagnosed with hypotonic CP. The electrophysiological parameters were recorded in the right lower limb of all children.

The results showed that the H-reflex latency was significantly decreased in all CP children and that the electrophysiological parameters were altered in spastic CP children. The electrophysiological parameters in hypotonic CP were within range, indicating they did not suppress the neuronal motor pool and hence the authors concluded that the electrophysiological parameters of the nerve conduction study are a reliable test for the assessment of tone of muscles in children. Thus, it may help in the early initiation of the treatment and therapies in CP children.

Reference: Basak I, Tiwari AK, Prasad R, Pandey R, Singh TB, Mandal MB, et al. Nerve conduction study in young children suffering from cerebral palsy. Indian J Physiol Pharmacol 2023;67:118-24.