Abstract
Background: Nerve conduction studies (NCS) are known to be influenced by various physiological and environmental factors. Region and population-specific normative reference values of NCS required for comparison and evaluation of results have been published in many research studies but the age-group-specific significant pattern of reference values is not available for the same. Researchers have agreed that results are variable by chronological age, the present study was carried out to determine the effect of aging on nerve conduction velocity (NCV) of two commonly tested median and ulnar nerves of upper limb in individuals of different age groups. Furthermore, the motive was to collect reference data that can be used during clinically significant diagnostic testing of nerves.

Aims and Objectives: The study aimed to study the effect of aging on nerve conduction velocities of the median and ulnar nerve, as well as to observe the correlation of age and changes in NCS of the median and ulnar nerve.

Materials and Methods: A cross-sectional (observational) study was conducted on 110 healthy individuals (count of males-60, females-50). The subjects for the study were taken up amongst the volunteers (medical students, teaching and nonteaching staff members in the Government Medical College and Rajindra Hospital, Patiala, and healthy volunteers who were willing to participate in the study). The subjects were grouped according to their age: Group I (18–30 years) (n = 38), Group II (31–45 years) (n = 38), and Group III (46–60 years) (n = 34). The motor and sensory distal latencies, amplitudes, and NCVs of median and ulnar nerves were recorded, and data were evaluated. Results: The mean and standard deviation of the median and ulnar nerve was studied for latencies, amplitude, and velocities for both sensory and motor components. Patients with older age had longer latencies (median: Motor and sensory P < 0.001, ulnar: Motor = 0.013 and sensory = 0.006), smaller amplitudes (median: Motor P = 0.013 and sensory <0.001, ulnar: Motor P = 0.014, and sensory = 0.008), and slower conduction velocities (median: Motor P < 0.001 and sensory = 0.006, ulnar: Motor P = 0.003 and sensory = 0.069) compared with the younger age group, and the change was well observed in the age group of ≥46 years. The change with age was greater in sensory nerve conduction of the median and ulnar nerves.

Conclusion: Our study results demonstrate that age is significantly correlated with all three nerve conduction parameters recorded from both nerves. An age-matched comparison of the results obtained during routine testing should be made to increase the diagnostic sensitivity of NCS.

Key words: Age; Ageing; Median; Ulnar; Motor; Sensory; Nerve Conduction Studies; Nerve Conduction Velocity