Reproducibility of peroneal motor nerve conduction measurement in older adults

ObjectiveWhile neuropathy is common in the elderly, nerve conduction (NC) reproducibility in older adults is not well-established. We sought to evaluate intraobserver reproducibility of peroneal motor NC measures in a diverse sample of older adults.MethodsWe measured peroneal motor NC amplitude and velocity in a subset of participants (mean age = 82.9 ± 2.7, n = 62, 50% female, 51.6% black, 35.5% DM) in the Health, Aging, and Body Composition Study. Using coefficients of variation (CVs), intraclass correlation coefficients (ICCs), and Bland Altman Plots, we compared two sets of measurements taken by the same examiner hours apart on the same day.ResultsLow CVs (2.15–4.24%) and moderate to high ICCs (0.75–0.99) were observed. No systematic variation was found across measures. Despite small numbers in some subgroups, we found no differences in reproducibility by diabetes, race or study site.ConclusionNC measures have moderate to high intraobsever reproducibility in older adults and are not affected by diabetes, race, or gender.SignificanceThese data provide evidence to support use of these measures in aging research.

► Motor nerve conduction reproducibility is poorly established in very old adults, despite a high burden of sensorimotor decline and overt neuropathy. ► Moderate to high intraobserver reliability exists for peroneal motor nerve conduction in very old, racially diverse men and women. ► The results have critical implications for diagnosing motor nerve dysfunction, measuring age-related change, and evaluating interventions to prevent or treat neuropathy.