• D Mueller, M Obermann, S Koeppen, I Kavuk, M-S Yoon, F Sack, H-C Diener, H Kaube, and Z Katsarava.
• Department of Neurology, University of Duisburg-Essen, Essen, Germany. daniel.mueller@uni-due.de
• Eur. J. Neurol. 2010 Jun 1; 17 (6): 834-41.

Background And PurposeThis study investigated the utility of pain-related evoked potentials (PREP's) elicited by a nociceptive electrical stimulation of the skin (= electrically evoked nociceptive potentials) in early detection of diabetic small-fiber neuropathy.MethodsWe studied 36 'young' (19-35 years) and 24 'older' (36-65 years) healthy subjects as well as 35 patients (35-64 years) with diabetes and neuropathic symptoms and 22 patients (34-64 years) with diabetes without neuropathic symptoms. Only patients with normal standard nerve conduction testing were included.ResultsIn patients with neuropathic symptoms, we found a significant increase in PREP latencies and decrease of amplitudes elicited from both, upper and lower limbs. In non-symptomatic diabetic patients, we observed PREP abnormalities from lower limbs only.ConclusionsThese data suggest that the method of pain-related evoked potentials elicited by a nociceptive electrical stimulation of the skin may contribute to the early detection of diabetic sensory neuropathy.

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