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One hundred four normal subjects ranging in age from 17 to 77 years and in height from 115 to 203 cm underwent nerve conduction studies of sural, peroneal, tibial, and median nerves. Foot temperature was measured in each patient. A strong inverse correlation was found between height and sural (r = -0.7104), peroneal (r = -0.6842), and tibial (r = -0.5044) conduction velocities. These correlations were significant at the P less than 0.001 level. Median conduction velocity was not correlated with height. Height was correlated with the distal latencies of all nerves studied (sural r = 0.6518, peroneal r = 0.4583, tibial r = 0.7217, median r = 0.5440). These correlations were significant at the P less than 0.001 level. Age was inversely correlated with both tibial (r = -0.4071) and median (r = -0.3464) nerve conduction velocities but not with sural and peroneal conductions. There were no correlations between distal latencies and age. If the variation in conduction velocity accounted for by the linear relationship with height was removed, then age would be inversely correlated to all conduction velocity measurements with the exception of the sural. Temperature is inversely correlated with the sural (r = -0.2233), peroneal (r = -0.2102), and tibial (r = -0.2710) distal latencies. In all instances, the effects of age and temperature were minor determinants when compared with the effects of height. Diagnostic conclusions made from nerve conduction data without correcting for height may be invalid in patients taller and shorter than normal.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

1. The effects of dimethothiazine have been studied on the response of afferent fibres from primary and secondary endings of muscle spindles in the soleus muscle of the decerebrate cat during stretching of the muscle under controlled conditions. 2. Dimethothiazine in doses of 1 to 4 mg/kg intravenously reduced the discharge frequency of primary and secondary endings. Higher doses of dimethothiazine had little further significant effect on the discharge frequency. 3. The discharge frequency recorded from de-efferented muscle spindles in soleus of the decerebrate cat were similar to the discharge frequencies obtained in preparations with intact ventral roots which had received a high dose of dimethothiazine. 4. Dimethothiazine had little significant effect on the discharge frequency of afferent fibres from muscle spindles in the soleus muscle of decerebrate preparations where the ventral roots were cut. 5. These effects of dimethothiazine on muscle spindle activity were not related to any changes in blood pressure of the decerebrate cat. 6. Dimethothiazine appears to reduce the effects of both the dynamic and static fusimotor fibres on the spindle. 7. The doses of dimethothiazine which effect spindle discharge frequency are similar to those required to reduce decerebrate rigidity.