Neurophysiological and Functional Assessment in Chronic Inflammatory Demyelinating Polyradiculoneuropathy (CIDP): The Correlation Between Visual Evoked Potentials and Grip Strength.

Background/

Objectives

This study investigates the relationship between Chronic Inflammatory Demyelinating Polyradiculoneuropathy (CIDP), neurophysiological markers assessed via Visual Evoked Potentials (VEPs), and functional capacity.

Methods

A total of 190 participants, comprising 95 patients and 95 healthy controls, underwent specialized assessments of VEP latencies and amplitudes (P100 and N145), as well as dominant and non-dominant grip strength. Statistical analyses using independent-samples t-tests and linear regression revealed that patients exhibited significantly prolonged P100 and N145 latencies and reduced P100 amplitudes compared with controls, reflecting impaired neural conduction and heterogeneous fiber involvement.

Results

Patients also demonstrated markedly reduced bilateral grip strength, confirming the disease's impact on gross motor skills and sensorimotor integration. Although gender did not broadly differentiate clinical expression, patients receiving intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIg) therapy showed significant improvements in P100 latency and bilateral grip strength, compared with those not receiving treatment.

Conclusions

These findings underscore the utility of VEPs and grip strength as reliable biomarkers for monitoring demyelination and functional status, suggesting that their combined evaluation can enhance clinical management and the assessment of therapeutic response in CIDP.