KUMJ | VOL. 16 | NO. 3 | ISSUE 63 | JULY-SEPT. 2018
A Study of F Wave Latencies, Chronodispersion and Persistence in Healthy Medical Undergraduates at BPKIHS
Subedi P, Limbu N, Thakur D, Khadka R, Gupta S
Abstract: Background
The F wave is a CMAP (compound muscle action potential) evoked by a supramaximal
stimulation of a motor nerve. F waves are particularly useful for the diagnoses of
polyneuropathies at a very early stage and proximal nerve lesions. F waves have a
very high diagnostic role in neurophysiology; we would like to study different F wave
parameters and effect of anthropometric variables on F wave parameters in normal
healthy individuals.
Objective
To study the effect of anthropometric variables on F wave latencies, chronodispersion
and persistence
Method
Healthy males (n=64) and females (n=26) medical students of BPKIHS with age
21.64±1.19 years were enrolled in the study. Anthropometric parameters and
maximum and minimum F wave latencies, F persistence and chronodispersion
of bilateral median, ulnar and tibial nerves were recorded in Neurophysiology
Lab II of BPKIHS. Descriptive analysis was done for anthropometric and F wave
parameters. Unpaired t test was applied for comparing anthropometric and F wave
variables between males and females. Pearson correlation was applied between
anthropometric variables and F wave parameters.
Result
Age, height and weight of the subjects were 21.64±1.19 years, 165.61±5.4 cms and
64.07±5.5 kg respectively. Minimum F wave latencies (ms) of right median, ulnar
and tibial nerves were 24.09±1.95, 24.02±1.76 and 44.34±3.02 while on the left side
were 23.92±1.96, 24.11±1.92 and 44.07±2.83 respectively. Anthropometric variables
of male and females were statistically significant. Also, F wave latencies between
groups were different which were statistically significant. F persistence was above
80% for all tested peripheral nerves. Height and weight showed a significant effect
on F wave latencies (p<0.001). However, age did not show any significant effect on F
wave parameters.
Conclusion
Males have prolonged latencies as compared to females. Height and weight showed
a significant relationship with the F wave latencies of the tested peripheral nerves.
Keyword : Anthropometric, Chronodispersion, F wave, Persistence
