What specific information does the Current perception Threshold (CPT) procedure provide?


The equipment performs sNCT evaluations by determining neuroselective sensory Current perception Threshold (CPT) measures. CPT measures are objective, quantitative determinations of sensory nerve conduction and functional integrity which are obtainable from any cutaneous site. Each CPT measure represents the minimum amount of a painless, neuroselective, transcutaneous electrical stimulus required to reproducibly evoke a sensation approximately 50% of the times it's presented. The resolution of the CPT measure is +/_ 20μAmps (p<0.004). Three independent CPT measures are obtained from each test site by using three different sinusoidal frequencies of electrical stimuli: 2000 Hz, 250 Hz and 5 Hz. These measures selectively quantify the functioning of the three major sub-populations of sensory nerve fibers providing innervation to the test site: the large myelinated, small myelinated and small unmyelinated fibers. Abnormally low CPT measures indicate a hyper-sensitive nerve function (commonly associated with inflammation or neuritis) reflecting a hyperesthetic condition. Abnormally elevated CPT measures indicate a loss of nerve function reflecting a hypoesthetic condition or neuropathy. CPTs are measured in units equivalent to 0.01 mAmperes (mA) of output intensity. At output intensities below 0.10 mA, CPT measures are resolved in increments of 0.1 CPT units (1 μAmpere). For example, a CPT measure of 100 indicates a stimulus output intensity of 1.0 mA; a CPT of 9.5 indicates an output intensity of 0.095 mA. The stimulus output range of the CPT device is 0.001 mA (CPT=0.1) to 9.99 mA (CPT=999). top of page Previous page Home

The equipment performs sNCT evaluations by determining neuroselective sensory Current perception Threshold (CPT) measures. CPT measures are objective, quantitative determinations of sensory nerve conduction and functional integrity which are obtainable from any cutaneous site. Each CPT measure represents the minimum amount of a painless, neuroselective, transcutaneous electrical stimulus required to reproducibly evoke a sensation approximately 50% of the times it's presented. The resolution of the CPT measure is +/_ 20μAmps (p<0.004). Three independent CPT measures are obtained from each test site by using three different sinusoidal frequencies of electrical stimuli: 2000 Hz, 250 Hz and 5 Hz. These measures selectively quantify the functioning of the three major sub-populations of sensory nerve fibers providing innervation to the test site: the large myelinated, small myelinated and small unmyelinated fibers. Abnormally low CPT measures indicate a hyper-sensitive nerve function (commonly associated with inflammation or neuritis) reflecting a hyperesthetic condition. Abnormally elevated CPT measures indicate a loss of nerve function reflecting a hypoesthetic condition or neuropathy. CPTs are measured in units equivalent to 0.01 mAmperes (mA) of output intensity. At output intensities below 0.10 mA, CPT measures are resolved in increments of 0.1 CPT units (1 μAmpere). For example, a CPT measure of 100 indicates a stimulus output intensity of 1.0 mA; a CPT of 9.5 indicates an output intensity of 0.095 mA. The stimulus output range of the CPT device is 0.001 mA (CPT=0.1) to 9.99 mA (CPT=999).

top of page Previous page Home