Abstract
One hundred adults with age distribution between 17 and 88 years old who had no history or physical findings of any neuromuscular disease were selected and divided into four groups having 25 cases each. Terminal latency, amplitude, maximal motor nerve conduction velocity (MCV) of M-wave and the shortest latency, latency-variability, duration of F-wave recorded from abductor hallucis muscle by supramaximal percutaneous stimulation of the tibial nerve and the relationship of M-wave and F-wave to age was evaluated.
In the cases more than 50 years old, the shortest F-wave latency (msec/meter) and MCV were closely correlated with increase of age. F-wave duration was calculated as a ratio of F-wave duration to M-wave duration. The correlation between F/M duration ratio and ages showed significant difference statistically, correlation coefficient being 0.8004 (p<0.001) and linear regression equation was Y=0.09X+22.74 (X: years of age, Y: F/M duration ratio). The mean decrease ratio between cases over 70 years old and under 30 years old was 40.0% in F/M duration ratio, 15.3% in the shortest F-wave latency and 10.3% in MCV.
