The Bulgarian study “Diagnosis of diabetic neuropathy using simple somatic and a new autonomic (Neuropad) tests in the clinical practice” (Z A Kamenov, J J Petrova, V G Christov) looked at how effective the Neuropad test is for detecting small fibre nerve damage in people with diabetes.
These small nerves control things like sweating and early signs of nerve damage can often go unnoticed. Catching it early is really important because it can help prevent serious complications like foot ulcers or amputations.
Neuropad is a simple, non-invasive test—you just stick a patch to the sole of the foot, and it changes colour depending on how much you sweat. If there’s not enough moisture (sweat), the patch won’t turn the right colour, which is a sign that small nerves might not be working properly.
Study design
- Cross-sectional, observational study
- Participants: 205 individuals with type 1 or type 2 diabetes
- Reference standard: Sudomotor function measured via quantitative sudomotor axon reflex test (QSART) and Neuropathy Disability Score (NDS)
- Neuropad test: Time to colour change on the sole of each foot, evaluated semi-quantitatively
Here’s what the study found:
- High consistency: When tested on both feet, Neuropad gave matching results 91% of the time. That means it’s reliable and reproducible.
- Strong diagnostic ability: It correctly identified small fibre nerve damage in about 76–79% of cases (solid sensitivity), and correctly ruled it out in roughly 69–73% of cases (specificity).
- Predicts risk well: Neuropad was also good at spotting people who were more likely to develop other diabetes complications, like retinopathy (eye damage) and foot ulcers.
The study concluded:
- Neuropad is quick and user-friendly—no complex equipment or medical expertise required to perform it.
- It’s non-invasive—no needles, no pain.
- It’s ideal for early detection, especially in busy primary care or diabetes clinics.
- It can serve as a first-line screening tool to flag patients who need more advanced nerve testing or closer monitoring.
In plain terms:
Neuropad works like a smart, colour-changing sticker that checks how well your foot nerves are functioning. If the nerves that control sweat are damaged (as they often are in diabetes), the patch won’t change colour like it should. That gives doctors an early warning sign—without needing expensive or complicated equipment.
For university students or anyone trying to understand diabetic neuropathy, this study highlights how a simple tool like Neuropad can play a big role in preventing serious health problems. It’s efficient, reliable, and can make a meaningful difference in routine diabetes care.