Reversible nervous abnormalities in juvenile diabetics with recently diagnosed diabetes

Abstract

It has been well documented that diabetic patients retain vibratory perception during a longer period of ischaemia than non-diabetics. This neurological abnormality is present at the time of the clinical appearance of diabetes and can be normalized by treatment with insulin. - In the present study the vibratory perception threshold was studied during ischaemia in six diabetics before and after treatment with insulin and in six nondiabetics. Threshold values were measured in the big toe, and isehaemia induced by inflating a pressure cuff placed either above the knee or at the level of the ankle. - The results obtained show that a normal function of only a part of the length of the nerve fibre is required to obtain a normal ischaemic response throughout the length of the nerve, presumably because this part will stop conduction as if the whole nerve fibre were fully repaired. - Furthermore, it is demonstrated that during treatment with insulin, normalization occurs at a greater rate in the proximal parts of the nerves compared with the more distal parts. - The ischaemic abnormalities are believed to be due to a defective myelin sheath. © 1971 Springer-Verlag.