Evidence map›Paper›PMID 41002925›Full record

ArticleNeurology international2025

Carpal Tunnel Syndrome in the Very Elderly: Clinical, Electrodiagnostic, and Ultrasound Features in a Cohort of 187 Patients.

Lisa B E Shields, Vasudeva G Iyer, Theresa Kluthe, Yi Ping Zhang, Christopher B Shields

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Neurology international, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 3 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
3citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

3 citing papers in PubMed.

  1. [Frequent neurosurgically treatable diseases in geriatric patients].Zeitschrift fur Gerontologie und Geriatrie · 2026
    Article
  2. Article
  3. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

5 authors.

Lisa B E ShieldsNorton Neuroscience Institute, Norton Healthcare, 210 East Gray Street, Suite 1102, Louisville, KY 40202, USA.ORCID 0000-0002-1526-4063
Vasudeva G IyerNeurodiagnostic Center of Louisville, Louisville, KY 40245, USA.ORCID 0000-0002-7411-4575
Theresa KlutheNorton Research Institute, Norton Healthcare, Louisville, KY 40202, USA.
Yi Ping ZhangNorton Neuroscience Institute, Norton Healthcare, 210 East Gray Street, Suite 1102, Louisville, KY 40202, USA.
Christopher B ShieldsNorton Neuroscience Institute, Norton Healthcare, 210 East Gray Street, Suite 1102, Louisville, KY 40202, USA.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

BACKGROUND/

objectivesElderly patients with carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS) have more severe clinical, ultrasonic, and electrodiagnostic (EDX) findings compared to younger patients. Thenar weakness and atrophy are more common at initial presentation in the elderly population with CTS.

methodsThis is a retrospective review of 187 very elderly patients (aged 80 years and older) with EDX confirmation of CTS. We describe the clinical, EDX, and US features in these patients and compare the severity of the median nerve entrapment at the carpal tunnel (CT) by EDX findings to a middle-aged cohort (ages 40-50 years).

resultsThe total number of very elderly hands with CTS was 289 (187 patients total, with bilateral symptoms in 102 patients). Of the 289 hands, thenar atrophy was observed in 75 (26.0%) hands, weakness of the abductor pollicis brevis (APB) muscle was detected in 178 (61.6%) hands, and pinprick decrease/loss was noted in 265 (91.7%) hands. Of the total 289 hands, 57 (66.3%) hands' median nerve stimulation did not evoke compound muscle action potentials over the APB and second lumbrical muscles. Sensory nerve action potentials were not detected in 211 (76.2%) hands. Comparing the sensitivities of various US measurements in diagnosing CTS, the cross-sectional area at the CT inlet had the highest sensitivity among the various measurements. As the CSA at the CT inlet increases, the odds of a greater CTS severity by EDX studies also increase (OR = 1.109,

conclusionsThe very elderly patients appear to seek medical care only when the CTS has become severe. The primary care physicians should look for signs and symptoms of CTS in the very elderly and encourage prompt treatment. Surgeons should be cognizant of the differences in the clinical, EDX, and US studies in the very elderly patient cohort with CTS. US is highly useful in evaluating CTS when the EDX studies become non-localizing in severe CTS, as often seen in the very elderly patients.

Indexed as

carpal tunnel syndromeelderlyelectrodiagnostic studyultrasonography

Identifiers

PMID41002925
PMCPMC12472666

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.