Abstract
In this cross-sectional study we aimed to quantify the somatosensory dysfunction in the hand in people with diabetes with distal symmetrical polyneuropathy (DSPN) in hands and explore early signs of nerve dysfunction in people with diabetes without DSPN in hands. The clinical diagnosis of DSPN was confirmed with electrodiagnosis and corneal confocal microscopy. Thermal and mechanical nerve function in the hand was assessed with quantitative sensory tests. Measurements were compared between healthy participants (n = 31), individuals with diabetes without DSPN (n = 35), individuals with DSPN in feet but not hands (DSPNFEET ONLY) (n = 31), and individuals with DSPN in hands and feet (DSPNHANDS & FEET) (n = 28) with one-way between-group ANOVA. The somatosensory profile of the hand in people with DSPNHANDS & FEET showed widespread loss of thermal and mechanical detection. This profile in hands is comparable with the profile in the feet of people with DSPN in feet. Remarkably, individuals with DSPNFEET ONLY already showed a similar profile of widespread loss of nerve function in their hands. People with diabetes without DSPN in feet already had some nerve dysfunction in their hands. These findings suggest that nerve function assessment in hands should become more routine in people with diabetes.
Original language | English |
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Pages (from-to) | 1785-1794 |
Number of pages | 10 |
Journal | Diabetes |
Volume | 71 |
Issue number | 8 |
Early online date | 21 Aug 2022 |
DOIs | |
Publication status | Published - Aug 2022 |
Bibliographical note
Publisher Copyright:© 2022 by the American Diabetes Association.
Funding
Funding. This project received internal funding from Griffith University. The funding source had no role in any part of the study or in the decision to submit the manuscript for publication. Duality of Interest. No potential conflicts of interest relevant to this article were reported. Author Contributions. E.S.-S., L.B., and M.W.C. conceptualized the study and the study design. E.S.-S. conducted the project administration and management. E.S.-S. and R.J.A. collected data. E.S.-S. and M.W.C. conducted the data analysis and data interpretation. E.S.-S., A.C.S., and M.W.C. designed the figures. E.S.-S. prepared the tables. E.S.-S. and M.W.C. prepared the various drafts of the manuscript. All authors critically reviewed the manuscript and approved the final version of the manuscript. M.W.C. is the guarantor of this work and, as such, had full access to all the data in the study and takes responsibility for the integrity of the data and the accuracy of the data analysis. Prior Presentation. Parts of this study were presented in abstract form at the International Diabetes Federation Virtual Congress, 6–11 December 2021.
Funders | Funder number |
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Griffith University |