A Study on the Nerve Conduction Velocity in Hemiplegia and the Effect of Thermal Bath
- VernacularTitle:片麻痺患者の末梢神経伝導速度と温泉浴
- Author:
Kunio Kobayashi
- Publication Type:Journal Article
- From:The Journal of The Japanese Society of Balneology, Climatology and Physical Medicine
1971;35(1-2):1-10
- CountryJapan
- Language:Japanese
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Abstract:
The balneotherapy has been applied to C. V. A. patients since long. However, it is still unknown why heat and warm bath are beneficial to the exercise of C. V. A. patients. The purpose of this study is to clarify the effect of warm bath on the recovery of palsy of C. V. A. patients by measuring the conduction velocity of the ulnar nerve in 136 C. V. A. patients.
From comparison of the velocity between healthy and paralysed sides, and between before and after taking a bath, following results were obtained;
1) Decrease of nerve conduction velocity was proved (significantat 2% level) in the paralysed side of C. V. A. patient, but this decrease became improved after taking a bath.
2) Warm bath increased the conduction velocity on the paralysed side, and this effect lasted for more than 2 hours.
3) No correlation was recognized among muscle tone, grade of motor palsy, and conduction velocity.
4) A significant decrease of conduction velocity of the paralysed nerve was observed in the early stage of a stroke, especially within 6 months. No significant difference was seen in cases of stroke of more than 6 months after the attack.
5) In the cases of poorer recovery, a greater decrease of the conduction velovity was observed in the early stages of stroke. In these cases, the conduction velocity of the ulnar nerve on the paralysed side more markedly decreased than that of the healthy side even after warm bath treatment.
6) The effet of the vasodilator (external application of Finalgon) on the paralysed side was not clearly confirmed.
7) In cases that needed stimulation of more than 10 mace. duration to induce M-wave, the elevation of threshold of strength-duration curve was observed on the paralysed side. This was proved even after warm bath treatment.
