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Table 1 Results of the nerve conduction tests (right hands) in the persons with carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS) and the controls

From: Diagnostic properties of nerve conduction tests in population-based carpal tunnel syndrome

Nerve conduction test, mean (95% confidence interval)

Clinically certain CTS (n = 86)

Symptomatic Controls (n = 155)

Asymptomatic Controls (n = 124)*

Median nerve distal motor latency (ms)

4.2 (4.0–4.4)

3.6 (3.5–3.7)

3.4 (3.3–3.5)

Median nerve digit 3-wrist sensory latency (ms)

3.6 (3.4–3.8)

3.0 (2.9–3.1)

2.9 (2.8–3.0)

Median nerve wrist-palm sensory conduction velocity (m/s)

39.2 (36.5–41.9)

48.3 (46.8–49.8)

50.7 (49.4–52.0)

Ulnar nerve distal motor latency (ms)

2.7 (2.6–2.7)

2.7 (2.6–2.7)

2.8 (2.7–2.8)

Ulnar nerve digit 5-wrist sensory latency (ms)

2.3 (2.2–2.3)

2.3 (2.3–2.4)

2.3 (2.3–2.4)

Median-ulnar nerve sensory latency difference (ms)

1.3 (1.1–1.5)

0.72 (0.65–0.79)

0.57 (0.52–0.62)

  1. * One of the 125 controls did not undergo testing on the right hand because of previous laceration. Significantly worse than in the controls (p < 0.001). Absent sensory responses in 3 persons with CTS (for both tests in 2 persons) and in one symptomatic control (both tests); in calculating means, absent latency values were replaced with the most abnormal value recorded.