Sensory nerve conduction studies in children. Age-related changes of conduction velocities.

Normal values of sensory conduction velocities (CV) in four routinely examinated peripheral nerves are presented median, ulnar, radial and sural were gathered from the intact side of children with unilateral brachial plexus or different peripheral nerve lesions aged from two weeks to 15.5 years. The data were computer treated using an exponential function as the one which best reflects the dynamics of CV age-related changes i.e. its neurophysiological maturation. Approximated exponential curves and standard error, 95 per cent of confidence limits were computer-fitted to CV values and computer-plotted for each nerve. The values of sensory CV were computed for each month of age. The minimum and maximum values of CV (CVo, CVmax), the age when CV reaches 95% of its maximum maturity (age 95%), and maturation rate constant-k were computed for each nerve and used for comparative assessment of their neurophysiological maturation. In addition the increase of CV per month during the period equal to age 95% was calculated. The results have shown: 1. Values of CV along the segment wrist to elbow in newborns (CVo) and after maturation (CVmax) were found to be significantly higher than those along the distal fingers to wrist segment of both median and ulnar nerves (p < 0.001). The main reason for this is probably temperature difference between these two segments. 2. Smaller variations of CV values found in different nerves along the same nerve segment can be caused by measurement or other technical error. Besides, in case of infants it is also very important that age-groups are identical.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)