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Category: Volume 06 Issue 09 September 2018
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Title: Assessment of Peripheral Neuronal Activity with Nerve Conduction Studies in Iron Deficiency Anaemia Patients from Rural Areas of Bankura District of West Bengal

Authors: Dr Sharmistha Ghosal, Dr Writtika Chattaraj, Dr Debasis Pramanik, Sutripta Mukherjee, Dr Upal Banerjee

 DOI:  https://dx.doi.org/10.18535/jmscr/v6i9.182

Abstract

Background: People suffering from iron deficiency anaemia often complain of tingling and weakness in their limbs. In this study, we tried to explore whether there is any impairment of neuronal transmission in peripheral nerves in iron deficiency anaemia.

Materials & Methods: About 30 iron deficiency anaemia cases and 30 age sex matched non-anaemic controls were examined. All the subjects underwent nerve conduction studies. Distal latency, amplitude of compound motor action potential (cmap) and conduction velocity of bilateral median and ulnar nerves were measured. Haematological estimations were done for haemoglobin percentage, MCV, MCH and MCHC. Findings were compared between groups by unpaired students’t-test. Association among blood parameters and NCS findings were tested by Pearson's correlation coefficient (r value). Each time p< 0.05 was considered significant.

Results: Anaemic patients showed significantly higher distal latencies but lower conduction velocity and amplitude of both median and ulnar nerves than non-anaemic controls (p<0.05 in each case). Haemoglobin percentage, MCV, MCH, MCHC showed negative correlation with latencies of median and ulnar nerves and a positive correlation with amplitude and conduction velocity (p<0.05 in each case).

Conclusion: Iron deficiency anaemia may cause impairment of peripheral nerve conduction and severity is directly proportional to haemoglobin percentage.

Keywords: Iron deficiency anaemia, Nerve Conduction studies, Distal latencies.

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Corresponding Author

Dr Writtika Chattaraj

Assistant Professor, Dept of Physiology, Diamond Harbour Govt. Medical College, Bankura - Beliator - Sonamukhi - Khandaghosh - Nischintapur Road, Harindanga, Diamond Harbour, West Bengal 743331

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