Peripheral motor nerve conduction in elderly demented and non-demented psychiatric patients.

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Abstract
Peripheral nerve function was assessed in 21 dements and 21 controls the mean ages being 73.1 and 73.4, respectively. Measurments were made of the maximum motor conduction velocity in the median nerve of the forearm. Conduction velocity was significantly lower in both the demented series and the control series. Differences were greater in the more severely demented patients. No significant age correlations were found with conduction velocity or wrist latency in the dements and in the non-demented psychiatric controls these values were comparable with published normal values. The results favor the view that a close relationship exists between the mental state of demented patients and the nature and extent of degeneration in the brain. The involvement of large fibers may result from some diffuse process involving most nerves which is related to-ageing or from impairment due to scattered focal peripheral nerve lesions.