Publications (2)10.84 Total impact
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Article: Evaluation of three screening tests and a risk assessment model for diagnosing peripheral neuropathy in the diabetes clinic.
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ABSTRACT: with the aim of evaluating predictive power, three simple screening tests as alternates to nerve conduction tests for diagnosing diabetic peripheral neuropathy (DPN) were investigated. Results of the screening tests, along with the subjects' demographic and clinical characteristics, were planned as the variables for the development of a risk assessment tool for predicting DPN. this is a cross-sectional multi-group comparison study. The study utilized a predictive model derived from one subset of the study population, and prospectively tested in the other subset to predict the presence of neuropathy. Diabetic Neuropathy Research Clinic of the Toronto General Hospital and University Health Network in Toronto, Ontario, Canada from June 1998 to August 1999. data come from 478 subjects consisting of non-diabetic reference subjects, and patients with type 1 and type 2 diabetes mellitus. nerve conduction studies (NCS) comprised the primary defined outcome. The three screening sensory tests examined in the study were the Semmes-Weinstein 10 g monofilament examination (SWME), superficial pain sensation, and vibration by the on-off method. the three screening tests are significantly and positively correlated with NCS. An increase in the number of insensate responses in the screening test is associated with an increase in the abnormal NCS score. The strength of the association between NCS and each sensory test was greater when the neuropathy severity stage of the subject was added to the model. Both the SWME and vibration by the on-off method tests demonstrated sufficient statistical power to differentiate non-diabetic control subjects from subjects with diabetes, as well as to differentiate subjects with diabetes with and without neuropathy. These two tests, when compared with NCS, also demonstrated acceptable diagnostic performance characteristics in terms of high sensitivity and specificity, total number of correctly predicted cases, and receiver-operating characteristic curves. this data, through the development of a model involving training and validation sets, demonstrates that the knowledge of clinical risk factors alters the interpretation of sensory tests for DPN. This finding lends further support to the validity of simple sensory testing maneuvers in the conditional diagnosis of DPN. We recommend annual screening with either the SWME or vibration by the on-off method in the primary care and diabetes clinics.Diabetes Research and Clinical Practice 12/2001; 54(2):115-28. · 2.75 Impact Factor -
Article: Simple screening tests for peripheral neuropathy in the diabetes clinic.
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ABSTRACT: The utility of rapid and reliable sensory tests appropriate for the diagnosis of neuropathy in the diabetes clinic, rather than as prognostic tools for the prediction of foot complications, has been unclear because of limitations inherent in previous studies. Although clinical practice guidelines recommend annual screening for neuropathy, they are unable to support specific recommendations for screening maneuvers because of a lack of evidence for the validity of screening tests in the medical literature. The objective of this study was to assess the operating characteristics of four simple sensory screening maneuvers as compared with standardized electrophysiological tests in the diagnosis of distal symmetrical polyneuropathy. We assessed four simple tests (the 10-g Semmes-Weinstein monofilament examination [SWME], superficial pain sensation, vibration testing by the on-off method, and vibration testing by the timed method) in 478 subjects with independent blinded evaluations compared against the criterion standard of nerve conduction studies. We present receiver-operating characteristic (ROC) curves, positive and negative likelihood ratios, and sensitivity and specificity values for each test. The four simple screening maneuvers reveal similar operating characteristics. Cutoff points by ROC curve analyses reveal that a positive or abnormal test is represented by five incorrect responses of eight stimuli applied. A negative or normal test is represented by one or fewer incorrect responses of eight stimuli applied. By these criteria, the point estimates of the positive likelihood ratios for vibration testing by the on-off method, vibration testing by the timed method, the SWME, and superficial pain sensation test are 26.6, 18.5, 10.2, and 9.2, respectively. The point estimates of the negative likelihood ratios are 0.33, 0.51, 0.34, and 0.50, respectively The screening tests showed comparable sensitivity and specificity results. The 10-g SWME, superficial pain test, and vibration testing by the on-off method are rapid, each requiring approximately 60 s to administer. The timed vibration test takes longer, and the interpretation is more complicated. The combination of two simple tests (e.g., the 10-g SWME and vibration testing by the on-off method) does not add value to each individual screening test. Annual screening for diabetic neuropathy should be conducted using superficial pain sensation testing, SWME, or vibration testing by the on-off method. The reported operating characteristics for each sensory modality can be applied to positive findings on the physical examination of individual patients to predict the likelihood of neuropathy.Diabetes Care 03/2001; 24(2):250-6. · 8.09 Impact Factor
