OBJECTIVETo study the role of proximal nerve stimulation at Erb point in the early diagnosis of Guillain-Barré syndrome (GBS) in children.

METHODSThirty-two children who were diagnosed with GBS between October 2013 and December 2014 received neurophysiological examination. Thirty healthy children were used as controls. Compound muscle action potentials and distal motor latency of the median and ulnar nerves were determined and analyzed after nerve stimulation at the wrist, elbow, and Erb point in the two groups. Moreover, F-wave latency of the median nerve and H-reflex latency of the tibial nerve were measured and analyzed in the two groups.

RESULTSThe F-wave and H-reflex latencies were significantly longer in the patient group than in the control group (P<0.05). In thirty-two patients, the numbers of patients with abnormal amplitude, abnormal latency, and conduction block at Erb's point were 24 (75%), 22 (69%), and 20 (62%), respectively. The patient group had significantly lower amplitudes but significantly longer latencies of the ulnar and median nerves at Erb point than the control group (P<0.05). There were no significant differences in the amplitudes and latencies at the wrist and elbow between the two groups (P>0.05).

CONCLUSIONSThe nerve stimulation at Erb point holds promise as a routine examination for the early diagnosis of GBS.