Background: There is supportive evidence that multiple sclerosis (MS)
could potentially affect the peripheral nervous system. We assessed
peripheral sensory and motor nerve involvement in patients with MS by a
nerve conduction velocity test. Methods: We studied 75 patients who had
a relapsing-remitting or secondary progressive pattern. We measured
amplitude, latency, conduction velocity, Hoffmann reflex (H-Reflex),
and F-Waves. Results: The amplitude of the right tibial, right proneal,
left tibial, left proneal, and left median motor nerves was less than
the mean for the normal population. Right ulnar sensory conduction in
the patients showed an amplitude that was less than that of the normal
population; there was no significant change in the amplitude of other
sensory nerves. Latencies of the right and left median and right
proneal motor nerves and left ulnar sensory nerves were statistically
less than that of the normal population. Mean motor conduction velocity
and F-wave conduction did not differ significantly from the normal
population. H-reflex latencies of the right and left lower limbs were
significantly more prolonged than those of the normal population.
Conclusion: Our results suggest possible peripheral motor nerve
abnormalities in MS patients, especially with the amplitude of the
motor nerves; however, our results do not demonstrate any significant
difference among the nerve conduction velocity parameters of sensory
nerves between MS patients and the normal population