The median sensory nerve conduction between ring finger and wrist is a suitable parameter for early detection of carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS), although shorter segments of median nerve have also been proposed for the same goal. In order to assess the relative diagnostic value of the sensory nerve conduction velocity (SNCV) of the third palmar branch versus the SNCV of the second palmar branch, generally performed until now, we studied 62 patients with typical signs and symptoms of CTS. The following parameters were evaluated by surface recording: orthodromic SNCVs in digit-wrist segments for median (index = M2, third = M3 and ring = M4 fingers), ulnar (fourth = U4 finger) and radial (thumb = R1) nerves; SNCVs in palm-wrist segments by surface bipolar stimulation at each metacarpo-phalangeal interspace (second = P2 and third = P3 for the median nerve and fourth = P4 for the ulnar nerve); and distal motor latencies of the median and ulnar nerves. No responses at the wrist were recorded in 22.6% of patients after digital stimulation of M4, whereas the SNCV of P3, the palmar nerve branch arising from digital nerves of the medial side of M3 and the lateral side of M4, was measurable in 93.5% of patients. As significantly expressed (P < 0.001) by the increased ratio of the mean values of P2 and P3 in CTS patients, the SNCV of P3 decreased more frequently and to a greater extent than the SNCV of P2.