Article

Electrophysiology remains an important tool in the evaluation of patients
presenting with signs and symptoms of motor neuron disease. The electrodiagnostic
study should include peripheral nerve conduction studies and needle
electromyography to both exclude treatable disease and gather evidence regarding
a diagnosis of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). The recent changes in the
revised El Escorial criteria, recommended by the Awaji-shima consensus group,
have increased the diagnostic significance of fasciculation potentials to equal
that of fibrillation and positive sharp-wave potentials in the needle
electromyography examination of patients suspected of having ALS. In addition,
electrophysiologic evidence is now considered equivalent to clinical signs and
symptoms in reaching a diagnostic certainty of ALS. These changes, strategies for
the design, and implementation of an effective electrodiagnostic evaluation, in
addition to electrophysiologic techniques and their relationship to the
evaluation of a patient with ALS, are reviewed and discussed.
CI - Copyright (c) 2013 American Academy of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation.
Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Langue : ANGLAIS