Table 1. Common tests for the assessment of neuropathy.

Type of nerve	Investigation	Advantages and disadvantages
Large fibre	Nerve conduction studies	Gold standard Sensitive, specific, and reproducible and easily standardised Must be done by trained professional
Large and small fibres	Neuropathy disability score	Good predictor for risk of ulceration Subjective Does not detect sub-clinical large fibre damage
Small fibre	Quantitative sensory testing	Reproducible and reliable Subjective
	Skin biopsy	Gold standard for small fibre testing Reliable and reproducible Invasive procedure which needs specialised laboratory service
	Corneal confocal microscopy	Rapid, reproducible, non-invasive Detects small fibre damage and tracks worsening and improvement in small phase 2b clinical trials Requires training to perform