Diabetes Care, Vol 15, Issue 4 525-527, Copyright © 1992 by American Diabetes Association

ARTICLES

Pittsburgh Epidemiology of Diabetes Complications Study. Measuring diabetic neuropathy follow-up study results

RE Maser, DJ Becker, AL Drash, D Ellis, LH Kuller, DA Greene and TJ Orchard
School of Life and Health Sciences, University of Delaware, Newark 19716.

OBJECTIVE--This project evaluated the utility of quantitative sensory techniques in predicting the development of neuropathy for subjects participating in a prospective study. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS--Distal symmetric polyneuropathy was evaluated in 77 insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus individuals via quantitative sensory testing, nerve conduction studies, and clinical examination. RESULTS--Although the specificity and positive predictive value were low for the quantitative sensory techniques as predictors of neuropathy diagnosed on clinical exam approximately 2 yr later, the sensitivity for vibratory thresholds was high (100%). Variability over the 2-yr interval was shown on follow-up testing for each of the objective assessment modalities and it was not explained by differences for potential risk factors measured at baseline. CONCLUSION--Despite a cross-sectional relationship between the assessment modalities and clinically overt neuropathy at baseline, these follow-up data suggest that the potential for the objective modalities as predictors of clinically diagnosed neuropathy may be limited.
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