Turkish Journal of
GERIATRICS

Marmara Üniversitesi Tıp Fakültesi Fiziksel Tıp ve Rehabilitasyon ABD., İstanbul
Uzm. Dr. Ankara Numune Eğitim ve Araştırma Hastanesi, Fizik ve Rehabilitasyon Merkezi, Ankara
Doçent Dr. Ankara Numune Eğitim ve Araştırma Hastanesi, Fizik ve Rehabilitasyon Merkezi, Ankara We retrospectively evaluated the electrodiagnostic investigations in the elderly age group (aged 65 years or older) in the last 6 years in our electrodiagnostic laboratory to determine whether the neuromuscular disease spectrum changes with the advancing age. During this period 3076 patients admitted to our laboratory, 96 (38,4%) male and 154 (61,6%) female, a total of 250 (8,12%) were 65 years or older and they were included in the study. The mean age was 69,2±4,2 (65-86) years. The most common diagnoses were entrapment neuropathies and carpal tunnel syndrome (26,4%), peripheral facial nerve paralysis (23,2%), various peripheral nerve lesions (12,4%), polyneuropathy (11,6%), and radiculopathies (5,6%), respectively. Electrodiagnostic findings suggestive for motor neuron disease in 2 patients. Normal results were encountered in 16,4% of the elderly people. Carpal tunnel syndrome was the most common electrophysiologic diagnosis, and in the majority of our elderly patients with carpal tunnel syndrome, the condition was bilateral (72,7%). In patients with peripheral facial nerve paralysis we found a higher and earlier rate of regeneration. But in this patient group, interestingly, 70,7% of the lesions affected the left facial nerve. Another important finding in elderly patients was the presence of sciatic nerve paralysis in 5 cases, inspite of increased awareness and all the measures against the condition. When the distribution according to admittance years are evaluated, we found that an increasing rate of admission to our laboratory were seen during the 6 years. Keywords : Electromyography, Nerve Conduction Studies, Elderly, Aging, Geriatrics, Peripheral nerve