(P17-067-23) Peripheral Nerve Conduction Velocities in Malnourished Bangladeshi Children Before and After Nutrition-Specific Intervention

Objectives: To assess the sensory and motor neurophysiological parameters in three categories of undernourished groups  before and after nutritional treatment and compared the findings with age and sex matched healthy control children

Methods: We enrolled 83 under-5 children from three cohorts of undernourished groups- severe stunting (length/height-for-age Z-scores < -3SD), severe acute malnutrition (weight-for-length/height Z-scores < -3SD, and/or mid-upper-arm circumference < 11.5 cm, with or without nutritional edema) and wasting (weight-for-length/height Z-score SD -2SD). A total of 45 age-matched healthy children were selected as controls.

We measured amplitude, duration and area of the negative part of the compound muscle action potential distal motor latency motor conduction velocity per segment, minimal F-wave latency, amplitude of the negative part of the sensory nerve action potential and sensory conduction velocity per segment.

The undernourished children were provided with appropriate nutritional therapy/treatment that included food supplementation psychosocial stimulation and parental counseling for 2 months.

Results: In severe acute malnourished children, different components of motor nerves conduction velocity (forearm velocity of median nerve (before intervention (mean±SD) 40.14±5.64; after intervention: 43.91±4.68), leg velocity of peroneal (before 39.91±5.46; after: 43.95±4.74) and tibial nerve (before 40.41±5.47; after 44.64±4.12)) showed statistically significant (p-value < 0.05) before-after differences. The arm velocity of median nerve (before 48.68±7.03; after 53.77±6.60), and leg velocities of sural (before intervention 42.55±5.54; after 48.50±7.18) and peroneal nerves (before 41.05±5.70; after 45.36±6.32) of sensory nerve components showed statistically significant improvement after intervention.

Conclusions: Undernourished children have a lower peripheral nerve conduction velocity than their healthy counterparts. We have also found that nutritional interventions have the potential to improve the velocities, at least in  severe acute malnourished children.

Funding Sources: Swedish International Development Agency