BACKGROUND: Guillain-Barre syndrome (GBS) is an autoimmune disease which is characterized by demyelination of peripheral nerve and nerve root, and inflammatory reaction of lymphocyte and macrophage. Neuroelectrophysiological examination and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) analysis are of significance for its diagnosis. OBJECTIVE: To study the association of neuroelectrophysiology and cerebrospinal fluid immunoglobulin (CSF-Ig) with pathogenetic conditions of patients with GBS. DESIGN: Case control study. SETTING: Department of Neurology, Shenzhen Municipal Shekou Group Hospital; Department of Neuroelectrophysiology, People’s Hospital of Guangdong Province. PARTICIPANTS: A total of 32 GBS patients including 18 males and 14 females who aged from 17 to 72 years were selected as experimental group from the Department of Neurology, People’s Hospital of Guangdong Province from January 2004 to December 2005. All cases conformed with GBS diagnostic criteria established by Asbury in 1990 and they were divided into three types according to neurological criteria established by Chinese Neurology and Psychology Journal in 1993: mild, moderate and severe types. Another 30 patients with vascular headache were selected as control group from the same hospital including 14 males and 16 females who aged from 17 to 79 years. METHODS: ① Neuroelectrophysiological examination: Multiple-functional electromyography device provided by Nicolet Company, USA was used to measure nerve conduction velocity (NCV), including motor nerve conduction velocity (MCV) and sensory nerve conduction velocity(SCV); meanwhile, electromyologram (EMG), somatosensory evoked potential (SEP) and electroencephalogram (EEG) were also measured. ② Detection of CSF-Ig: Concentrations of IgG, IgA and IgM were measured with immunofixation electrophoresis. ③ Follow-up: Among 32 GBS patients, 14 cases received follow-up after treatment and the longest follow-up time was 1 year after onset. Among them, 8 cases were reexaminined with neuroelectrophysiological and CSF examinations. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Results of NCV, EMG, SEP and EEG; comparison of CSF-Ig content; results of follow-up examinations. RESULTS: All 32 GBS cases and 30 patients with vascular headache were involved in the final analysis. ① Abnormal rate of neuroelectrophysiological test: 75% of NCV, 88% of F-wave, 53% of MCV, 25% of SEP, 47% of EMG and 31% of EEG. There were no significant differences among various types (P > 0.05). ② Results of CSF-Ig test: There were no significant differences among various types (P > 0.05); however, abnormalities in experimental group was higher than those in control group (P < 0.01). CONCLUSION: Results of follow-up study suggest that improvement of clinical symptom is earlier than neuroelectrophysiological recovery; MCV and EMG recoveries are faster than that of NCV; the earlier the abnormality of EMG, the poorer the recovery. CSF-Ig recovers normally along improvement of clinical symptoms. It is of significance for neuroelectrophysiology and abnormality of CSF-Ig to determine degree of peripheral nerve demyelination and prognosis. BACKGROUND: Guillain-Barre syndrome (GBS) is an autoimmune disease which is characterized by demyelination of peripheral nerve and nerve root, and inflammatory reaction of lymphocyte and macrophage. Neuroelectrophysiological examination and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) analysis are of significance for its diagnosis. OBJECTIVE : To study the association of neuroelectrophysiology and cerebrospinal fluid immunoglobulin (CSF-Ig) with pathogenetic conditions of patients with GBS. DESIGN: Case control study. SETTING: Department of Neurology, Shenzhen Municipal Shekou Group Hospital; Department of Neuroelectrophysiology, People’s Hospital of Guangdong Province. PARTICIPANTS: A total of 32 GBS patients including 18 males and 14 females who age from 17 to 72 years were selected as experimental group from the Department of Neurology, People’s Hospital of Guangdong Province from January 2004 to December 2005. All cases conformed with GBS diagnostic criteria established by Asbury in 1990 and they wer e divided into three types according to neurological criteria established by Chinese Neurology and Psychology Journal in 1993: mild, moderate and severe types. Another 30 patients with vascular headache were selected as control group from the same hospital including 14 males and 16 females who aged from METHODS: ① Neuroelectrophysiological examination: Multiple-functional electromyography device provided by Nicolet Company, USA was used to measure nerve conduction velocity (NCV), including motor nerve conduction velocity (MCV) and sensory nerve conduction velocity (SCV); (2) Detection of CSF-Ig: Concentrations of IgG, IgA and IgM were measured with immunofixation electrophoresis. ③ Follow-up: Among 32 GBS patients, 14 cases received follow-up after treatment and the longest follow-up time was 1 year after onset. Among them, 8 cases were reexamini ned with neuroelectrophysiological and CSF examinations. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Results of NCV, EMG, SEP and EEG; comparison of CSF-Ig content; results of follow-up examinations. RESULTS: All 32 GBS cases and 30 patients with vascular headache were involved in the final analysis. ① Abnormal rate of neuroelectrophysiological test: 75% of NCV, 88% of F-wave, 53% of MCV, 25% of SEP, 47% of EMG and 31% of EEG. There were no significant differences among various types (P> 0.05). ② Results of CSF-Ig test: There were no significant differences among various types (P> 0.05); however, abnormalities in experimental group was higher than those in control group of follow-up study suggest that improvement of clinical symptom is earlier than neuroelectrophysiological recovery; MCV and EMG recoveries are faster than that of NCV; the earlier the abnormality of EMG, the poorer the recovery. CSF-Ig recovers normally along improvement of clinical symptoms It is of signifi cance for neuroelectrophysiology and abnormality of CSF-Ig to determine degree of peripheral nerve demyelination and prognosis.