Nerve conduction studies (NCS), or nerve conduction velocity tests, measure the speed of the conduction of electrical impulses through nerves. NCSs help determine if a nerve has been damaged or destroyed. During these tests, nerves are stimulated with surface electrode patches attached to the epidermis. A single electrode uses minor electrical impulses to stimulate nerves while the other electrode records them. A third electrode then records the data of the electrical activity. This process is repeated for each nerve.
A nerve conduction velocity test measures the distance between the electrodes and the time it takes for the electrical impulses to travel between them. An electromyography (EMG) is another procedure that can be performed to collect data as well.
Reasons for the Procedure
Nerve conduction velocity tests and EMGs are typically used to differentiate nerve and muscle disorders. While NCSs help in discovering nerve problems, an EMG detects if muscles are working properly in response to how nerves register sensations. There are many conditions and diseases that can be detected with an NCS. They include:
- Herniated disks
- Sciatic nerve conditions
- Peripheral nerve injuries
- Pinched nerves
- Carpal tunnel syndrome
- Neuropathy
- Chronic inflammatory polyneuropathy
- Guillain-Barré syndrome
- Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease
Please keep in mind that nerve condition studies may also be performed to help find causes for the following in the body:
- Numbness
- Chronic pain
- Tingling
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