Association of disease duration and sensorimotor function in type 2 diabetes mellitus: beyond diabetic peripheral neuropathy.

Purpose: The aim of the study is to assess association of the duration of diabetes and vibration, proprioception, muscle strength, reaction time and balance measures in people with type 2 diabetes mellitus (DM) without peripheral neuropathy.

Methods: Forty-seven type 2 diabetics without peripheral neuropathy and 23 healthy controls were recruited for the study. Patients with type 2 DM were further classified into 23 patients who suffered from diabetes for less than 5 years (<5yrDM) and 24 patients who had diabetes for 5 years and above (≥5yrDM). All participants were assessed for Michigan neuropathy screening instrument (MNSI), vibration perception threshold (VPT), proprioception, muscles strength, centre of pressure (COP) range, COP sway and reaction time.

Results: ≥5yrDM patients were found to significantly differ from healthy control in MNSI score ( ≤ 0.013), VPT score ( ≤ 0.002), reaction time ( ≤ 0.018), COP range ( ≤ 0.005) and COP sway ( ≤ 0.027). A significant difference was found only in reaction time ( < 0.002) except in the back direction ( = 0.089), and COP range ( ≤ 0.016) except in the front ( = 0.101) and right direction ( = 0.085) between <5yrDM patients and healthy controls.

Conclusions: ≥5yrDM patients exhibit a subtle deterioration in VPT, reaction time, and balance measure while <5yr DM patients were impaired only in COP range and reaction time when compared with healthy control.