Clinical and neurophysiologic evaluation of the effect of Cisplatin administration on the motor nerves

Cisplatin is known to induce a disabling sensory peripheral neuropathy. However, some authors have suggested that cisplatin may also cause motor impairment, raising doubts as to the pathogenetic hypothesis of primary damage to the dorsal root ganglia neurons induced by the drug. In order to clarify the real extent of motor nerve damage induced by cisplatin we performed a prospective neurophysiologic study on 33 patients affected by ovarian cancer in which cisplatin was administered as single anticancer agent. No motor nerve impairment ensued after cisplatin treatment and, therefore, we conclude that the occurrence of motor neuropathy during or immediately after, cisplatin treatment is probably coincidental and indicates the need for a careful search for concomitant causes of peripheral nerve damage