Endocrine Abstracts

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 laboratory examination including haemogram, fasting and postprandial plasma sugar (2 hours), HbA1c, urine R/E, 24 hour urine for proteins, ECG, RFT, LFT and lipid profile. 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. Abnormal BAEP response reflex response was significantly correlating with postural drop in blood pressure (P-value 0.013 and 0.046). 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.

Declaration of interest: The authors declare that there is no conflict of interest that could be perceived as prejudicing the impartiality of the research project.