[Conduction velocity and relative refractory period of the sural nerve in patients treated with ergot alkaloids].

Relative refractory period and sural nerve conduction velocity were estimated in 30 probands and 52 patients treated with ergotamine tartrate using surface electrodes. A significant reduction in sural nerve relative refractory period could be correlated to an ergotamine dosage limited within therapeutical range. Patients under treatment without complaints even had a significant shorter relative refractory period compared to patients suffering from dysesthesia (p less than 0.01). Sural nerve conduction velocity showed a similar but not significant change in the tested patients.