The electophysiolgic study, esp. nerve conduction study is one of the objective & qualitative method for the evaluation of peripheral neuropathy in diabetes mellitus. But in diabetes mellitus the autonomic nerve system is also involved, the authors are to evaluate the neuropathy in the method of nerve conduction study & autonomic function test, and to compare with each other in this paper.

The subject of this study were 30 cases with diabetes mellitus who were admitted to Kyung Hee Medical Center & received electrodiagnostic examination & autonomic function test from March 1, 1988 to October 31, 1988.

The result is as follows

1) The 23 cases have subjective symptoms & 21 cases show abnormal nerve conduction study, 26 cases show abnormal autonomic function test & 19 cases show abnormal findings both in nerve conduction study & autonomic function test.

2) In 23 cases with subjective symptoms, 18 cases show abnormal findings in nerve conduction study & 21 cases show abnormal findings in autonomic function test. In 7 cases without symptoms, 4 cases are normal in nerve conduction study & 2 cases are normal in autonomic function test.

3) The patients with other complications show 14 abnormal cases each in nerve conduction study & autonomic function test.

4) According to duration of diabetes mellitus, the duration of diabetes mellitus is longer, the nerve conduction study & the autonomic function test show more abnormal findings & the autonomic function test is more sensitive than nerve conduction study in case with shorter duration of diabetes mellitus.

5) In the nerve conduction study, positive correlation is notes in Hb A₁C duration of diabetes mellitus between the cases with normal & abnormal findings, and negative correlation is notes in fast blood sugar. In the autonomic function test, negative correlation is noted in all three.