Effect of Gabapentin on nerve conduction studies in carpal tunnel syndrome

Abstract

Background: The most common type of neuropathy in adults is carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS) which is caused by compression of the median nerve at the wrist. Methods: This quasi-experimental study was conducted to determine the efficacy of gabapentin on nerve conduction studies in patients with mild CTS. The patients with mild CTS were randomly allocated into two groups. Group A received naproxen alone (500 mg/day, orally) while group B received both gabapentin (100-300 mg) and naproxen (500 mg/day, orally) for two months. Sensory nerve conduction velocity (SNCV) and distal motor latency (DML) were performed at baseline and two months after treatment. Results: There were no significant differences between the two groups with regards to the outcome parameters before initiation of intervention. The SNCV and DML showed no significant improvements in group A (p>0.05), whereas for group B the SNCV and DML of the median nerve were significantly improved at two months after treatment (p<0.001). Conclusion: Gabapentin was found to be effective for SNCV and DML in patients with mild CTS over a two-month period.