The Neurometer: validation and comparison with conventional tests for diabetic neuropathy.

The Neurometer is a portable constant current sine wave stimulator, which has recently been advocated for the quantification of peripheral nerve dysfunction by the measurement of detection thresholds for constant current stimulation. Stimuli are applied through surface electrodes at three frequencies and a forced choice method is used to determine the minimum amplitude for detection. The possible application of the Neurometer to the diagnosis and measurement of diabetic neuropathy was evaluated. The preliminary Neurometry results in comparison to those of conventional nerve testing techniques, including thermal and vibration detection thresholds, are discussed. It appears that the device may be a useful screening instrument which could give a fairly comprehensive idea of the functional integrity of different nerve fibre populations, and a full assessment takes only 10 to 15 min, in contrast to the conventional alternatives.