Comparison of electrochemical skin conductance and vibration perception threshold measurement in the detection of early diabetic neuropathy.

The early diagnosis of diabetic peripheral neuropathy (DPN) is challenging. Sudomotor dysfunction is one of the earliest detectable abnormalities in DPN. The present study aimed to determine the diagnostic performance of the electrochemical skin conductance (ESC) test in detecting early DPN, compare...

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Main Authors: Amit Goel, Channabasappa Shivaprasad, Anish Kolly, Vijaya Sarathi H A, Sridevi Atluri
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Public Library of Science (PLoS) 2017-01-01
Series:PLoS ONE
Online Access:https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article/file?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0183973&type=printable
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author Amit Goel
Channabasappa Shivaprasad
Anish Kolly
Vijaya Sarathi H A
Sridevi Atluri
author_facet Amit Goel
Channabasappa Shivaprasad
Anish Kolly
Vijaya Sarathi H A
Sridevi Atluri
author_sort Amit Goel
collection DOAJ
description The early diagnosis of diabetic peripheral neuropathy (DPN) is challenging. Sudomotor dysfunction is one of the earliest detectable abnormalities in DPN. The present study aimed to determine the diagnostic performance of the electrochemical skin conductance (ESC) test in detecting early DPN, compared with the vibration perception threshold (VPT) test and diabetic neuropathy symptom (DNS) score, using the modified neuropathy disability score (NDS) as the reference standard. Five hundred and twenty-three patients with type 2 diabetes underwent an NDS-based clinical assessment for neuropathy. Participants were classified into the DPN and non-DPN groups based on the NDS (≥ 6). Both groups were evaluated further using the DNS, and VPT and ESC testing. A receiver-operator characteristic (ROC) curve analysis was performed to compare the efficacy of ESC measurements with those of DNS and VPT testing in detecting DPN. The DPN group (n = 110, 21%) had significantly higher HbA1c levels and longer diabetes durations compared with the non-DPN group (n = 413). The sensitivity of feet ESC < 60 μS, VPT testing, and DNS in detecting DPN were 85%, 72%, and 52%, respectively. The specificity of feet ESC, VPT, and DNS in detecting DPN were 85%, 90% and 60% respectively. The areas under the curves of the ROC plots for feet ESC, VPT testing, and DNS were 0.88, 0.84, and 0.6, respectively. A significant inverse linear relationship was noted between VPT and feet ESC (r = -0.45, p = <0.0001). The odds ratios for having DPN, based on the mean feet ESC testing < 60 μS, VPT testing > 15 V, and DNS ≥ 1, were 16.4, 10.9 and 1.8, respectively. ESC measurement is an objective and sensitive technique for the early detection of DPN. Feet ESC measurement was superior to VPT testing for identifying patients with early DPN.
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spelling doaj-art-7fdc25ea169b43ffa0158bbaf0ca16f52025-08-20T03:12:51ZengPublic Library of Science (PLoS)PLoS ONE1932-62032017-01-01129e018397310.1371/journal.pone.0183973Comparison of electrochemical skin conductance and vibration perception threshold measurement in the detection of early diabetic neuropathy.Amit GoelChannabasappa ShivaprasadAnish KollyVijaya Sarathi H ASridevi AtluriThe early diagnosis of diabetic peripheral neuropathy (DPN) is challenging. Sudomotor dysfunction is one of the earliest detectable abnormalities in DPN. The present study aimed to determine the diagnostic performance of the electrochemical skin conductance (ESC) test in detecting early DPN, compared with the vibration perception threshold (VPT) test and diabetic neuropathy symptom (DNS) score, using the modified neuropathy disability score (NDS) as the reference standard. Five hundred and twenty-three patients with type 2 diabetes underwent an NDS-based clinical assessment for neuropathy. Participants were classified into the DPN and non-DPN groups based on the NDS (≥ 6). Both groups were evaluated further using the DNS, and VPT and ESC testing. A receiver-operator characteristic (ROC) curve analysis was performed to compare the efficacy of ESC measurements with those of DNS and VPT testing in detecting DPN. The DPN group (n = 110, 21%) had significantly higher HbA1c levels and longer diabetes durations compared with the non-DPN group (n = 413). The sensitivity of feet ESC < 60 μS, VPT testing, and DNS in detecting DPN were 85%, 72%, and 52%, respectively. The specificity of feet ESC, VPT, and DNS in detecting DPN were 85%, 90% and 60% respectively. The areas under the curves of the ROC plots for feet ESC, VPT testing, and DNS were 0.88, 0.84, and 0.6, respectively. A significant inverse linear relationship was noted between VPT and feet ESC (r = -0.45, p = <0.0001). The odds ratios for having DPN, based on the mean feet ESC testing < 60 μS, VPT testing > 15 V, and DNS ≥ 1, were 16.4, 10.9 and 1.8, respectively. ESC measurement is an objective and sensitive technique for the early detection of DPN. Feet ESC measurement was superior to VPT testing for identifying patients with early DPN.https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article/file?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0183973&type=printable
spellingShingle Amit Goel
Channabasappa Shivaprasad
Anish Kolly
Vijaya Sarathi H A
Sridevi Atluri
Comparison of electrochemical skin conductance and vibration perception threshold measurement in the detection of early diabetic neuropathy.
PLoS ONE
title Comparison of electrochemical skin conductance and vibration perception threshold measurement in the detection of early diabetic neuropathy.
title_full Comparison of electrochemical skin conductance and vibration perception threshold measurement in the detection of early diabetic neuropathy.
title_fullStr Comparison of electrochemical skin conductance and vibration perception threshold measurement in the detection of early diabetic neuropathy.
title_full_unstemmed Comparison of electrochemical skin conductance and vibration perception threshold measurement in the detection of early diabetic neuropathy.
title_short Comparison of electrochemical skin conductance and vibration perception threshold measurement in the detection of early diabetic neuropathy.
title_sort comparison of electrochemical skin conductance and vibration perception threshold measurement in the detection of early diabetic neuropathy
url https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article/file?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0183973&type=printable
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