Transient Changes of Sensory Nerve Functions in Uraemia

Abstract

The neurophysiological parameters (conduction velocity, amplitude and rise time of the compound action potential) of 2 sensory nerves of the lower limb (suralis and peronaeus superficialis) were determined bilaterally in 5 patients. Measurements were conducted at least twice in each subject during a time of great metabolic change. Two patients were recovering from acute renal failure (a single hemodialysis was performed on 1) and 3 were under chronic maintenance hemodialysis. In the case of the hemodialysis patients, measurements were performed on 2 successive days, before and after 1 hemodialysis session. All neurophysiological parameters showed significant improvement in successive measurements. In 1 patient the follow-up after acute renal failure revealed a delayed deterioration of the nerve functions, but after 1 yr the values were normal. An acute metabolic disturbance may cause transient inhibition of nerve functions without morphological changes in the nerve fibers.