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Electrodiagnostic studies in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis and other motor neuron disorders
Author(s) -
Daube Jasper R.
Publication year - 2000
Publication title -
muscle and nerve
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.025
H-Index - 145
eISSN - 1097-4598
pISSN - 0148-639X
DOI - 10.1002/1097-4598(200010)23:10<1488::aid-mus4>3.0.co;2-e
Subject(s) - amyotrophic lateral sclerosis , electromyography , physical medicine and rehabilitation , medicine , clinical neurophysiology , lower motor neuron , physical therapy , somatosensory evoked potential , motor unit , disease , pathology , anesthesia , anatomy , electroencephalography , psychiatry
The clinical electrodiagnostic medicine (EDX) consultant asked to assess patients with suspected amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) has a number of responsibilities. Among the most important is to provide a clinical assessment in conjunction with the EDX study. The seriousness of the diagnoses and their enormous personal and economic impact require a high‐quality EDX study based on a thorough knowledge of and experience with motor neuron diseases (MNDs) and related disorders. Clinical evaluation will help determine which of the EDX tools available to the EDX consultant should be applied in individual patients. Although electromyography (EMG) and nerve conduction study are the most valuable, each of the following may be helpful in the assessment of selected patients based on their clinical findings: repetitive nerve stimulation, motor unit number estimate, single‐fiber EMG, somatosensory evoked potential, autonomic function test, and polysomnography. The pertinent literature on these is reviewed in this monograph. The selection and application of these EDX tools depend on a thorough knowledge of the MNDs and related disorders. © 2000 American Association of Electrodiagnostic Medicine. Muscle Nerve 23: 1488–1502, 2000