Table 3. Difference in objective quantitative nerve functions between the patients with and without subjective symptoms or diminished Achilles tendon reflex.
| MCV (ulnar n: m/s) | FCV (ulnar n: m/s) | SCV (median n: m/s) | SNAP (median n: μV) | CVdb (%) | ΔBP (mmHg) | VPT125 (dB) | ||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| N | M | SD | P‐value | n | M | SD | P‐value | n | M | SD | P‐value | n | M | SD | P‐value | n | M | SD | P‐value | n | M | SD | P‐value | n | M | SD | P‐value | |
| Subjective symptoms | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Numbness in toe and sole | <0.0001 | <0.0001 | <0.0001 | <0.0001 | <0.0001 | <0.0001 | <0.0001 | |||||||||||||||||||||
| No symptom | 381 | 51.6 | 5.0 | 340 | 59.4 | 4.7 | 355 | 57.7 | 5.3 | 337 | 20.9 | 13.1 | 386 | 4.2 | 2.8 | 386 | 9.9 | 15.0 | 392 | 19.9 | 9.7 | |||||||
| Unilateral | 26 | 50.2 | 4.8 | 21 | 58.7 | 4.8 | 21 | 57.2 | 4.5 | 20 | 17.9 | 11.5 | 26 | 3.5 | 2.2 | 26 | 4.4 | 8.6 | 26 | 24.5 | 11.7 | |||||||
| Bilateral | 154 | 47.7 | 5.6 | **** | 142 | 55.7 | 5.4 | **** | 139 | 54.0 | 6.0 | **** | 140 | 14.1 | 14.0 | **** | 160 | 2.8 | 2.0 | **** | 157 | 16.1 | 17.4 | **** | 160 | 26.5 | 10.4 | **** |
| Paresthesia in toe and sole | <0.0001 | <0.0001 | <0.0001 | <0.0001 | <0.0001 | <0.0001 | <0.0001 | |||||||||||||||||||||
| No symptom | 453 | 51.3 | 5.2 | 406 | 59.1 | 4.9 | 418 | 57.3 | 5.5 | 402 | 20.2 | 13.8 | 464 | 4.0 | 2.8 | 461 | 9.9 | 15.5 | 468 | 20.7 | 10.3 | |||||||
| Unilateral | 13 | 50.9 | 5.4 | 9 | 60.9 | 3.3 | 12 | 56.6 | 5.0 | 10 | 20.2 | 14.2 | 13 | 3.4 | 1.6 | 13 | 11.1 | 9.0 | 13 | 23.7 | 8.2 | |||||||
| Bilateral | 95 | 47.2 | 5.5 | **** | 88 | 54.2 | 4.8 | **** | 85 | 53.3 | 5.6 | **** | 85 | 12.6 | 10.9 | **** | 95 | 2.9 | 2.2 | **** | 95 | 18.2 | 16.4 | **** | 97 | 27.4 | 9.6 | **** |
| Numbness in hand | 0.23 | 0.06 | 0.12 | 0.18 | 0.17 | 0.07 | 0.0332 | |||||||||||||||||||||
| No symptom | 470 | 50.5 | 5.3 | 418 | 58.4 | 5.0 | 432 | 56.9 | 5.4 | 415 | 19.3 | 13.6 | 475 | 3.8 | 2.7 | 472 | 10.4 | 15.5 | 482 | 21.5 | 10.3 | |||||||
| Unilateral | 27 | 51.5 | 6.1 | 25 | 59.0 | 6.2 | 24 | 55.7 | 6.6 | 25 | 15.9 | 12.1 | 27 | 3.9 | 3.3 | 28 | 8.4 | 14.0 | 28 | 22.2 | 10.3 | |||||||
| Bilateral | 64 | 49.5 | 6.4 | 60 | 56.9 | 6.0 | 59 | 55.4 | 6.9 | 58 | 16.5 | 13.9 | 70 | 3.2 | 1.9 | 69 | 15.2 | 17.7 | 68 | 25.0 | 10.8 | * | ||||||
| Pain in foot | <0.0001 | 0.0006 | 0.0003 | 0.0229 | 0.0148 | 0.26 | <0.0001 | |||||||||||||||||||||
| No symptom | 473 | 50.9 | 5.2 | 427 | 58.7 | 5.0 | 441 | 57.1 | 5.5 | 424 | 19.4 | 13.3 | 488 | 3.9 | 2.8 | 484 | 10.9 | 16.6 | 498 | 21.0 | 10.3 | |||||||
| Unilateral | 12 | 48.8 | 6.0 | 10 | 56.6 | 6.3 | 10 | 55.3 | 6.9 | 9 | 20.6 | 12.9 | 13 | 3.2 | 1.6 | 11 | 15.7 | 23.9 | 12 | 26.7 | 8.9 | |||||||
| Bilateral | 71 | 47.9 | 6.2 | **** | 66 | 56.1 | 6.0 | *** | 64 | 54.0 | 6.5 | *** | 65 | 14.5 | 14.8 | * | 71 | 2.9 | 1.8 | **** | 74 | 13.6 | 15.3 | 73 | 27.3 | 9.3 | **** | |
| Pain in hand | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| No symptom | 540 | 50.5 | 5.4 | 0.0174 | 482 | 58.4 | 5.2 | 0.0202 | 495 | 56.7 | 5.7 | 0.0240 | 477 | 19.1 | 13.7 | 0.0174 | 550 | 3.8 | 2. 7 | 0.36 | 547 | 11.3 | 15.9 | 0.21 | 557 | 21.7 | 10.5 | 0.13 |
| Unilateral | 6 | 53.3 | 6.5 | 6 | 58.4 | 5.9 | 6 | 58.8 | 6.5 | 6 | 23.2 | 16.4 | 7 | 5.1 | 4.0 | 7 | 3.6 | 8.7 | 6 | 25.0 | 7.7 | |||||||
| Bilateral | 15 | 46.9 | 5.6 | * | 15 | 54.6 | 5.7 | * | 14 | 52.8 | 5.1 | * | 15 | 9.3 | 4.8 | * | 15 | 3.2 | 1.7 | 15 | 16.3 | 13.8 | 15 | 26.9 | 6.9 | |||
| Coldness in legs | 0.06 | 0.10 | 0.0118 | 0.76 | 0.17 | 0.17 | 0.62 | |||||||||||||||||||||
| No symptom | 101 | 49.8 | 5.1 | 70 | 59.0 | 4.7 | 81 | 57.2 | 4.7 | 67 | 24.7 | 17.7 | 114 | 3.3 | 2.1 | 103 | 10.6 | 14.6 | 111 | 19.1 | 9.8 | |||||||
| Symptomatic | 49 | 48.1 | 5.2 | 31 | 57.2 | 6.1 | 36 | 54.1 | 5.2 | 31 | 23.5 | 19.0 | 57 | 2.8 | 1.7 | 50 | 14.2 | 16.7 | 51 | 19.9 | 11.3 | |||||||
| Painful leg cramp | 0.25 | 0.56 | 0.39 | 0.38 | 0.61 | 0.34 | 0.05 | |||||||||||||||||||||
| No symptom | 383 | 50.3 | 5.5 | 340 | 58.4 | 5.2 | 349 | 56.9 | 5.5 | 337 | 19.2 | 13.7 | 392 | 3.8 | 2.7 | 387 | 10.8 | 16.0 | 394 | 21.2 | 10.4 | |||||||
| Symptomatic | 143 | 50.9 | 5.3 | 130 | 58.7 | 5.2 | 134 | 56.4 | 5.8 | 128 | 20.4 | 13.8 | 147 | 3.7 | 2.6 | 143 | 12.3 | 15.6 | 145 | 23.2 | 10.2 | |||||||
| Dizziness on standing | 0.07 | 0.11 | 0.0234 | 0.18 | 0.10 | 0.0001 | 0.0186 | |||||||||||||||||||||
| No symptom | 422 | 50.8 | 5.3 | 377 | 58.6 | 5.2 | 385 | 57.0 | 5.7 | 370 | 19.4 | 13.6 | 432 | 3.9 | 2.7 | 430 | 9.8 | 13.9 | 435 | 21.3 | 10.0 | |||||||
| Symptomatic | 133 | 49.8 | 5.4 | 120 | 57.7 | 5.3 | 124 | 55.7 | 5.4 | 122 | 17.5 | 13.5 | 135 | 3.4 | 2.6 | 133 | 15.8 | 20.3 | 137 | 23.7 | 11.4 | |||||||
| Sweating restricted to face/trunk | 0.0008 | 0.0273 | 0.0062 | 0.22 | 0.0031 | 0.0018 | 0.0146 | |||||||||||||||||||||
| No symptom | 436 | 51.0 | 5.3 | 397 | 58.6 | 5.0 | 405 | 57.1 | 5.5 | 393 | 19.3 | 13.6 | 449 | 4.0 | 2.7 | 446 | 10.3 | 15.1 | 451 | 21.3 | 10.0 | |||||||
| Symptomatic | 119 | 49.1 | 5.5 | 100 | 57.3 | 5.8 | 104 | 55.4 | 6.2 | 99 | 17.5 | 13.8 | 117 | 3.1 | 2.4 | 116 | 15.4 | 17.6 | 120 | 23.9 | 11.5 | |||||||
| Frequent constipation/diarrhea | 0.0432 | 0.0188 | 0.06 | 0.41 | 0.0173 | 0.0011 | 0.0005 | |||||||||||||||||||||
| No symptom | 487 | 50.7 | 5.4 | 433 | 58.6 | 5.0 | 446 | 56.9 | 5.5 | 429 | 19.2 | 13.8 | 499 | 3.9 | 2.7 | 497 | 10.5 | 15.2 | 504 | 21.3 | 10.3 | |||||||
| Symptomatic | 68 | 49.3 | 5.6 | 64 | 57.0 | 6.0 | 63 | 55.5 | 6.4 | 63 | 17.7 | 12.2 | 67 | 3.1 | 2.2 | 65 | 17.3 | 18.9 | 67 | 25.9 | 10.5 | |||||||
| Objective nerve function test | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Achilles tendon reflex | <0.0001 | <0.0001 | <0.0001 | <0.0001 | <0.0001 | <0.0001 | <0.0001 | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Normal | 162 | 53.1 | 4.6 | 142 | 61.1 | 4.0 | 152 | 59.3 | 4.3 | 145 | 26.2 | 13.9 | 171 | 4.9 | 2.7 | 167 | 7.1 | 13.6 | 169 | 17.6 | 9.1 | |||||||
| Unilaterally decreased | 7 | 50.0 | 4.1 | 4 | 57.4 | 4.9 | 6 | 55.8 | 5.8 | 4 | 21.7 | 9.8 | 5 | 2.9 | 1.8 | 7 | 11.4 | 9.6 | 7 | 17.1 | 12.4 | |||||||
| Bilaterally decreased | 365 | 49.4 | 5.4 | **** | 330 | 57.1 | 5.3 | **** | 331 | 55.4 | 5.9 | **** | 323 | 15.2 | 11.3 | **** | 369 | 3.2 | 2.5 | **** | 368 | 13.9 | 16.2 | **** | 375 | 24.0 | 10.3 | **** |
Figures of P‐value indicate P‐value between two or three groups by anova, and statistically significant P‐value was shown by boldfaced type, and *P < 0.05, **P < 0.01, ***P < 0.001, ****P < 0.0001 vs No symptom or Normal Achilles tendon reflex by a post‐hoc test. Statistical analyses were carried out by anova followed by Scheffé’s method as a post‐hoc test. There was no significant difference between the data in unilateral and no symptom groups. ΔBP, a fall in systolic blood pressure during head‐up tilt; CVdb, coefficient of variation of R‐R intervals in electrocardiogram during deep breathing; FCV, F wave conduction velocity; M, mean values; MCV, motor nerve conduction velocity; SCV, sensory nerve conduction velocity; SD, standard deviations, SNAP, sensory nerve action potential; VPT125: 125 Hz quantitative vibratory perception threshold at the big toe.