Nerve Conduction Studies in post COVID-19 Patients Without Neuropathic Complaints

Abstract

Objective: Neurological diseases related to the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) are known. In this study, it was aimed to find out whether the peripheral nervous system is affected in patients with a history of COVID-19 (post COVID-19) without neurological findings. Methods: Patients with a positive history of the nose swap polymerase chain reaction test and clinical signs of COVID-19 (post COVID-19 patients), and controls who have not had COVID-19 were included in this retrospective cohort study. Neurological examinations of post-COVID-19 patients and controls should have been normal. Nerve conduction studies including median, ulnar, posterior tibial and peroneal nerves were applied to all participants. Results: Thirty controls (14 males, 16 females) and 32 post COVID-19 patients (19 males, 13 females) were included. The mean ages of postCOVID-19 patients and controls were 49.7±10.9 and 38.0±7.6 years, respectively. Age and gender were not different between post COVID-19 patients and controls (p=0.122, p=0.316122). Nerve conduction study findings of median, ulnar, posterior tibial and sural nerves were not different between the two groups (p>0.05). Conclusion: This study may show that routine nerve conduction studies are not subclinically affected in post COVID-19 patients without neurological findings.