Effect of alpha-lipoic acid on small fibre neuropathy findings in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus

Objective: Cutaneous silent period (CSP) is an inhibitory spinal reflex and the afferent arm of this response involves A-delta nerve fibers. The aim of this study was to investigate CSP parameters in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) and to examine the effects of alpha-lipoic acid (ALA) treatment on CSP. To the best of our knowledge, this investigation has not yet been carried out until date. Methods: Seventeen patients with T2DM and 23 healthy volunteers were studied. CSP latency and duration in the upper and lower extremities of both the groups were examined. In T2DM patients, the variables were examined before and after ALA treatment. Results: CSP latency in T2DM patients was longer than that in the controls. In the patient group, CSP latency in the upper and lower extremities and CSP Latency Differences (LD) shortened in the third month after treatment compared with the pre-treatment values. Conclusions: The results suggest that ALA treatment may alleviate small-fiber neuropathy in T2DM patients and that CSP may be a useful supportive tool to evaluate ALA treatment effectiveness. © 2015, Ege University Press. All rights reserved