The study evaluated the function of median sensory nerve fibers, as well as determining the relationship between its function with the duration of Carpal Tunnel Syndrome (CTS) and body mass index (BMI) among CTS patients in Physiotherapy Unit, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia Hospital (HUKM). Thirty subjects (6 males and 24 females) with mean age 53.30 +/- 9.20 years and duration of the CTS 51.17 +/- 50.22 months participated in this study. The sensitivity of median sensory nerve was evaluated using Current Perception Threshold (CPT) Test with stimulation frequencies of 5 Hz, 250 Hz and 2000 Hz; which demonstrated the function of C, A-delta and A-beta nerve fiber respectively. Majority of the CTS patients had normal function in the 3 types of median sensory nerve fiber. Forty percents of the subjects had abnormality in the Aa function, 7% had abnormality of the A-beta function and 27% demonstrated abnormality in the C fiber function. Spearman Correlation Test showed no significant relationship between the function of median sensory nerve and the duration of CTS and body mass index (BMI) (p > 0.05). In conclusion, although majority of the patients demonstrated normal median sensory nerve function, abnormality of the A-beta, A-delta and C fibers sensitivity in some patients requires attention to prevent worsening of the nerve function thus avoiding related complications. Physiotherapists in HUKM may intensify the use of nerve stimulating modalities such as Transcutaneous Electrical Nerve Stimulation (TENS) to normalize the nerve functions of these patients.
Keywords: Carpal Tunnel Syndrome; Current perception threshold; Median sensory nerve sensitivity; Body mass index
Study site: Physiotherapy Unit, Pusat Perubatan Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia (PPUKM), Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia