Reduced Peripheral Nerve Conduction Velocity is Associated with Alzheimer's Disease: A Cross-Sectional Study from China

Overview

Journal Neuropsychiatr Dis Treat

Publisher Dove Medical Press

Specialty Psychiatry

Date 2022 Feb 18

PMID 35177907

Authors

Xinyi Qian

Ling Yue

David Mellor

Nathaniel M Robbins

Wei Li

Shifu Xiao

Affiliations

Soon will be listed here.

Abstract

Purpose: Elderly individuals with degenerative diseases of the central nervous system are more likely to develop peripheral neuropathy; however, research is limited as to whether the decline in peripheral nerve conduction can be used as a biomarker of Alzheimer's disease (AD).

Patients And Methods: This study enrolled 74 patients with mild cognitive impairment (MCI), 21 with AD, and 82 healthy elderly individuals. All participants underwent a peripheral nerve conduction and neuropsychological evaluation. Nicolet EDX was used to assess peripheral nerve conduction in the limbs and comparisons were made between the three cognitive groups. Furthermore, the relationship between peripheral nerve conduction and cognitive function was investigated.

Results: A ladder-shaped difference was found in the median (p < 0.001) and common peroneal (p < 0.001) motor nerve velocity, with the control group > MCI group > AD group, even after controlling for variables. The median motor nerve amplitude in the AD group was lower than that in the control group (P = 0.017). After controlling for age, sex, education, and height, the median motor nerve velocity was positively correlated with the Montreal Cognitive Assessment (r = 0.196, p = 0.015), and the common peroneal motor nerve velocity was positively correlated with verbal fluency task-idioms (r = 0.184, p = 0.026). The median (AUC: 0.777, p < 0.001) and common peroneal motor nerve velocities (AUC: 0.862; p < 0.001) were significantly associated with the diagnosis of AD. The accuracy rate of these two motor nerve velocities to predict AD was 51.5%.

Conclusion: Our study found that peripheral motor nerve velocity may correlate with early cognitive impairment in AD. However, the accuracy of different cognitive classifications and the value of early diagnosis are not ideal when peripheral motor nerve velocity is used alone. Whether peripheral nerve function can be used as a marker for early diagnosis of AD needs further clarification but provides a new possibility for the future of biomarker research.

Citing Articles

Linking sarcopenia, brain structure and cognitive performance: a large-scale UK Biobank study.

Gurholt T, Borda M, Parker N, Fominykh V, Kjelkenes R, Linge J Brain Commun. 2024; 6(2):fcae083.

PMID: 38510210 PMC: 10953622. DOI: 10.1093/braincomms/fcae083.

Neuromuscular Dysfunction Precedes Cognitive Impairment in a Mouse Model of Alzheimer's Disease.

Brisendine M, Nichenko A, Bandara A, Willoughby O, Amiri N, Weingrad Z Function (Oxf). 2023; 5(1):zqad066.

PMID: 38111538 PMC: 10727840. DOI: 10.1093/function/zqad066.

Association of reproductive factors and exogenous hormone use with distal sensory polyneuropathy among postmenopausal women in the United States: results from 1999 to 2004 NHANES.

Li J, Chongpison Y, Amornvit J, Chaikittisilpa S, Santibenchakul S, Jaisamrarn U Sci Rep. 2023; 13(1):9274.

PMID: 37286578 PMC: 10247787. DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-35934-7.

References

Hansson O . Biomarkers for neurodegenerative diseases. Nat Med. 2021; 27(6):954-963. DOI: 10.1038/s41591-021-01382-x. View

Piskunowicz M, Bielinski M, Zglinski A, Borkowska A . [Verbal fluency tests--application in neuropsychological assessment]. Psychiatr Pol. 2013; 47(3):475-85. View

Woods D, Kishiyamaa M, Lund E, Herron T, Edwards B, Poliva O . Improving digit span assessment of short-term verbal memory. J Clin Exp Neuropsychol. 2010; 33(1):101-11. PMC: 2978794. DOI: 10.1080/13803395.2010.493149. View

Carneiro P, Morais S, Pereira M . Biosensors on the road to early diagnostic and surveillance of Alzheimer's disease. Talanta. 2020; 211:120700. DOI: 10.1016/j.talanta.2019.120700. View

Petersen R, Smith G, Waring S, Ivnik R, Tangalos E, Kokmen E . Mild cognitive impairment: clinical characterization and outcome. Arch Neurol. 1999; 56(3):303-8. DOI: 10.1001/archneur.56.3.303. View

Yin Z, Valkenburg F, Hornix B, Mantingh-Otter I, Zhou X, Mari M . Progressive Motor Deficit is Mediated by the Denervation of Neuromuscular Junctions and Axonal Degeneration in Transgenic Mice Expressing Mutant (P301S) Tau Protein. J Alzheimers Dis. 2017; 60(s1):S41-S57. DOI: 10.3233/JAD-161206. View

Sonoo M, Menkes D, Bland J, Burke D . Nerve conduction studies and EMG in carpal tunnel syndrome: Do they add value?. Clin Neurophysiol Pract. 2018; 3:78-88. PMC: 6133914. DOI: 10.1016/j.cnp.2018.02.005. View

Weber G . Nerve conduction studies and their clinical applications. Clin Podiatr Med Surg. 1990; 7(1):151-78. View

Xiao S, Lewis M, Mellor D, McCabe M, Byrne L, Wang T . The China longitudinal ageing study: overview of the demographic, psychosocial and cognitive data of the Shanghai sample. J Ment Health. 2016; 25(2):131-6. DOI: 10.3109/09638237.2015.1124385. View

10.

Sanford A . Mild Cognitive Impairment. Clin Geriatr Med. 2017; 33(3):325-337. DOI: 10.1016/j.cger.2017.02.005. View

11.

Fotiou D, Stergiou V, Tsiptsios D, Lithari C, Nakou M, Karlovasitou A . Cholinergic deficiency in Alzheimer's and Parkinson's disease: evaluation with pupillometry. Int J Psychophysiol. 2009; 73(2):143-9. DOI: 10.1016/j.ijpsycho.2009.01.011. View

12.

Jack Jr C, Bennett D, Blennow K, Carrillo M, Dunn B, Budd Haeberlein S . NIA-AA Research Framework: Toward a biological definition of Alzheimer's disease. Alzheimers Dement. 2018; 14(4):535-562. PMC: 5958625. DOI: 10.1016/j.jalz.2018.02.018. View

13.

Llinas-Regla J, Vilalta-Franch J, Lopez-Pousa S, Calvo-Perxas L, Torrents Rodas D, Garre-Olmo J . The Trail Making Test. Assessment. 2015; 24(2):183-196. DOI: 10.1177/1073191115602552. View

14.

Scherder E, Bouma A, Borkent M, Rahman O . Alzheimer patients report less pain intensity and pain affect than non-demented elderly. Psychiatry. 1999; 62(3):265-72. DOI: 10.1080/00332747.1999.11024871. View

15.

LaPointe N, Morfini G, Pigino G, Gaisina I, Kozikowski A, Binder L . The amino terminus of tau inhibits kinesin-dependent axonal transport: implications for filament toxicity. J Neurosci Res. 2008; 87(2):440-51. PMC: 2739042. DOI: 10.1002/jnr.21850. View

16.

Wilson R, Bennett D, Gilley D, Beckett L, Schneider J, Evans D . Progression of parkinsonian signs in Alzheimer's disease. Neurology. 2000; 54(6):1284-9. DOI: 10.1212/wnl.54.6.1284. View

17.

OLeary T, Robertson A, Chipman P, Rafuse V, Brown R . Motor function deficits in the 12 month-old female 5xFAD mouse model of Alzheimer's disease. Behav Brain Res. 2017; 337:256-263. DOI: 10.1016/j.bbr.2017.09.009. View

18.

Griffith K, Dorsey S, Renn C, Zhu S, Johantgen M, Cornblath D . Correspondence between neurophysiological and clinical measurements of chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy: secondary analysis of data from the CI-PeriNomS study. J Peripher Nerv Syst. 2014; 19(2):127-35. PMC: 4175057. DOI: 10.1111/jns5.12064. View

19.

Kandula T, Farrar M, Cohn R, Mizrahi D, Carey K, Johnston K . Chemotherapy-Induced Peripheral Neuropathy in Long-term Survivors of Childhood Cancer: Clinical, Neurophysiological, Functional, and Patient-Reported Outcomes. JAMA Neurol. 2018; 75(8):980-988. PMC: 6142928. DOI: 10.1001/jamaneurol.2018.0963. View

20.

Omejec G, Podnar S . Utility of nerve conduction studies and ultrasonography in ulnar neuropathies at the elbow of different severity. Clin Neurophysiol. 2020; 131(7):1672-1677. DOI: 10.1016/j.clinph.2020.02.019. View