Temperature in Nerve Conduction and Electromyography

신경전도와 근전도검사에서의 체온

Among the various physiological factors that affect nerve conduction velocity (NCV), temperature is the most important. Because the influence of temperature is the most important source of error. It is known from animal experiments that conduction is eventually completely blocked at low temperatures, the myelinated A fibers being the first affected and the thin fibers of group C the last. Many studies showed that the NCV decreases linearly with lowering temperature within the physiological range. The distal motor latency increased by $0.2msec/^{\circ}C$ drop in temperature between $25^{\circ}C$and $35^{\circ}C$ in the median, ulnar and peroneal nerves. The temperature affect the neuromuscular transmission; The miniature endplate potential (MEPP) and endplate potential (EPP) are increase with increasing temperature. In myasthenia gravis, the reduction in the decremental response is observed following cooling. The lowering temperature make increase the amplitude of sensory compound action potential; make enlarge the surface area of compound muscle action potential with very little increase in amplitude; make diminish the fibrillation potential and increase the myotonia in needle electromyography (EMG). Because of these findings mentioned above, the skin temperature should be routinely monitored and controlled during nerve conduction tests and needle EMG and should be taken into account when interpreting the findings.