Evaluation of Brainstem Auditory Evoked Potential in Diabetics

BACKGROUND: ？Brainstem auditory evoked potentials (BAEP) have been used for electrophysiological assessment of central neuropathy in diabetes. However, the role of this test in documenting the abnormality, the site of abnormality and relation of these abnormalities with metabolic control of diabetes are not clear as yet. The present study was done to explore the presence of abnormalities, if any, in the test parameters and relation of these with diabetic status. METHODS: ？It was a cross sectional study with controls. Thirty patients of diabetes mellitus (group 1) and thirty healthy controls (group 2) were included in the study. All the patients were subjected to detail clinical history, clinical and neurological examination. Detail laboratory investigation including haemogram, fasting and postprandial plasma sugar (2 hours), HbA1c, urine R/E, 24 hour urine for proteins, ECG, RFT, LFT and lipid profile were done. BAEP was done in all the subjects RESULTS: ？Mean peak latency of waves I, III, V and interpeak latency of I-III, III-V, I-V were prolonged in group 1, but were not statistically significant. Abnormal BAEP response was found in 8 patients (27%) in group 1. There was no significant relation between abnormal BAEP response with age, sex, type of diabetes, duration of diabetes since detection, fasting plasma sugar level, postprandial plasma sugar level, glycosylated haemoglobin, presence of retinopathy, nephropathy and peripheral neuropathy. CONCLUSIONS: ？BAEP is a useful method for obtaining an early diagnosis of central and cranial nerve abnormalities in diabetic patients. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.3126/jucms.v1i2.8403 Journal of Universal College of Medical Sciences Vol.1(2) 2013: 8-12