Abstract

Background: nerve conduction study (NCS) is a neurophysiologic medical diagnostic test
used commonly to evaluate the function of the peripheral nerves. It is an extension to the
clinical examination and extremely useful to diagnose and document a peripheral nerve
disorder, localize the lesion, and to establish underlying pathophysiology.
Objective: The aim of this study is to evaluate the influence of gender on nerve conduction
study values and to generate reference nerve conduction studies (NCS) data for the
commonly tested nerves among healthy adults in Oman.
Subjects and methods: This study was conducted in the Neurology Department at the
Royal Hospital, a tertiary care hospital in Muscat-Oman, for a period of four years (from
March 2015 until May 2019) which included a total of 143 (80 females and 63 males)
healthy Omani subjects. Sensory and motor nerve conduction studies were performed to
the Median, Ulnar, Peroneal and Tibial nerves to establish the normative data. Statistical
analysis was performed using Minitab comparing the mean values of all NCS parameters
for both genders.
Results: Gender comparison concluded that Omani males have longer distal motor latencies
for all of the tested nerves and slower motor conduction velocities for the lower limbs’
nerves (p <0.005) than the females. While sensory latencies were significantly delayed
in males as compared to Omani females for the upper limbs’ nerves and the ensory nerve
potential amplitudes in the upper limbs were greater in females (p<0.0001) than males.
A normative data for distal latencies, conduction velocities and responses amplitudes for
motor and sensory nerves were sat up for the first time for normal adult Omani population.
Conclusion: Gender has a significant influence on distal latencies and conduction velocities
of some peripheral nerves in healthy Omani adult subjects, suggesting that different
cut-off values for the two genders may be needed for interpreting such studies. These
differences could be related to anatomical (height and limbs’ length gender differences)
and/or physiological factors. Our normative data for nerve conduction study values are
comparable to other published studies in the literature.

Keywords

nerve conduction study, normal ncs values, gender effect, oman, omani adults, ncs parameters