EFFECT OF HAND DOMINANCE ON THE SENSORY NERVE CONDUCTION VELOCITY

Nerve conduction studies are affected by the various physiological parameters like age, gender, height and temperature are well known. However, research towards the effect of limb dominance on Sensory nerve conduction is few. This study was planned to assess the effect of limb dominance on sensory nerve conduction velocities. This study comprised of 40 young medical students of both the genders of the age group 17-23 years, of which 30 were right handed and 10 left handed. The median nerve sensory conduction velocity was measured and recorded using 4 channel polygraph. The sensory nerve conduction velocity in the left handed subjects was found to be more than the right handed subjects, but the difference was statistically insignificant and the left handed subjects had higher SNCV in dominant hand(left) compared to dominant hand(right) of right handed subjects and this was also found to be statistically insignificant. In our study the sensory conduction velocity is higher in dominant hand when compared to non dominant hand in right handed subjects and the difference was statistically significant but no significant difference in the sensory conduction velocity between the dominant and non-dominant hand was found in left handed subjects