Evaluation of cutaneous sensation in myelodysplastic children, using electrical stimulation.

A new method, cutaneous electrical stimulation, was compared with the standard neurological examination for its effectiveness in detecting cutaneous sensation. Both methods provided clear and congruous results for 45 per cent of the patients. However, for the other 55 per cent, cutaneous electrical stimulation frequently detected sensation at sites which were classified as anaesthetic on standard neurological examination. Electrical stimulation also was able to indicate sensation in a group of infants too young to be evaluated by standard neurological evaluation.