ELECTRODIAGNOSIS OF NEUROMUSCULAR DISEASE

PEDIATRICS ◽  
1964 ◽  
Vol 34 (5) ◽  
pp. 599-600
Author(s):  
EDWARD H. LAMBERT

THE past decade has seen a number of the techniques of clinical neurophysiology come into common use in the diagnosis of neuromuscular disease. One of these is the measurement of conduction velocity of motor nerves. Conduction velocity of nerves was only of academic interest until 1948 when a simple method for making reliable measurements in man was described and proved useful as a test of nerve function. It is now a frequent subject of clinical investigation and in many laboratories measurement of conduction velocity has become a routine diagnostic procedure. A review and extension of this work by Dunn and his associates, published in this issue of Pediatrics, emphasizes the importance of such measurements to pediatrics wherein objective evidence of functional impairment of nerves is of particular importance because the clinical examination may be so unsatisfactory. Conduction velocity of peripheral nerves, measurable quickly and simply, should be standard practice in the study of neuromuscular disorders in infants and children.

Author(s):  
D.W. Baxter

In 1975, medical neurology is a well established, viable, growing specialty in Canada. There are now almost 250 neurologists scattered across the country, congregated largely in the hospitals associated with our 16 medical schools. Neurology is a major component of the undergraduate curriculum in each of these schools, and the majority of schools are approved for postgraduate training in our specialty. The Royal College has certified an average of 18 new neurologists each year for the past five years. In our hospitals we work closely with our internist and neurosurgical colleagues and we receive the support of highly competent teams of neuropathologists, clinical electrophysiologists and neuroradiologists. We believe that we provide a generally high standard of consultation service to our medical and surgical colleagues. We accept direct responsibility for patients suffering from a host of acute neurological problems, but we accept long term responsibility for very few. We do a great deal of teaching at both the undergraduate and graduate levels. In fact, the major role which neurology plays in undergraduate curricula, and the stimulus of postgraduate education, probably have been the two most influential factors shaping the number, work patterns and distribution of Canadian neurologists. Many of us are engaged in clinical investigation, but relatively few medical neurologists in Canada make fundamental research contributions.


PEDIATRICS ◽  
1968 ◽  
Vol 41 (2) ◽  
pp. 382-384
Author(s):  
S. C.

The current literature reflects the interest of pediatricians, neurologists, and internists in the neuromuscular disorders of childhood.1-5 Clinical awareness and the availability and refinement of ancillary procedures, such as electromyography, measurement of nerve conduction velocities, determination of serum enzymes and muscle biopsies, have made it possible to differentiate many of these conditions and correctly localize the pathology of these lower motor neuron disorders to the anterior horn cells, the peripheral nerves, and/or the muscles.1 Primary muscle disease is the most frequent cause of progressive muscular weakness in children with neuromuscular disorders.2 The primary myopathies are either hereditary or acquired. The muscular dystrophies and the myotonic syndrome are representative of the genetic variety, while the acquired disorders are recognized clinically as polymyositis and dermatomyositis.


2012 ◽  
Vol 153 (45) ◽  
pp. 1767-1778 ◽  
Author(s):  
Vilmos Bíró

The author summarizes the most important data about the development of reconstructive techniques of nerve injuries in the hand based on literature references and the author’s own experience in the past decades. A new bulk of knowledge turned into a common property related to the micro- and macroanatomic structure of peripheral nerves, the process of nerve regeneration, and the technical conditions of nerve reconstructive operations. This knowledge is a prerequisite for hand surgeons to perform their nerve reconstructive operations on a contemporary high level with an optimal result. After a critical review of literature data, the author reports his own experience and sketches the coming possible roads. A detailed list of references is also provided for those who are interested in the field. Orv. Hetil., 2012, 153, 1767–1778.


2018 ◽  
Vol 31 (3) ◽  
Author(s):  
Maria Magana ◽  
Christina Sereti ◽  
Anastasios Ioannidis ◽  
Courtney A. Mitchell ◽  
Anthony R. Ball ◽  
...  

SUMMARYBacteria can form single- and multispecies biofilms exhibiting diverse features based upon the microbial composition of their community and microenvironment. The study of bacterial biofilm development has received great interest in the past 20 years and is motivated by the elegant complexity characteristic of these multicellular communities and their role in infectious diseases. Biofilms can thrive on virtually any surface and can be beneficial or detrimental based upon the community's interplay and the surface. Advances in the understanding of structural and functional variations and the roles that biofilms play in disease and host-pathogen interactions have been addressed through comprehensive literature searches. In this review article, a synopsis of the methodological landscape of biofilm analysis is provided, including an evaluation of the current trends in methodological research. We deem this worthwhile because a keyword-oriented bibliographical search reveals that less than 5% of the biofilm literature is devoted to methodology. In this report, we (i) summarize current methodologies for biofilm characterization, monitoring, and quantification; (ii) discuss advances in the discovery of effective imaging and sensing tools and modalities; (iii) provide an overview of tailored animal models that assess features of biofilm infections; and (iv) make recommendations defining the most appropriate methodological tools for clinical settings.


Introduction 238 Assessment 239 Treatment 240 A variety of neuromuscular disorders may affect the ventilatory pump at different sites (Table 37.1). Most of these disorders result in respiratory muscle weakness, which results in alveolar hypoventilation and impaired cough. Patients with known neuromuscular disease may present acutely with a presentation related to their underlying neuromuscular disease (such as infection) or occasionally in end-stage ventilatory failure....


2015 ◽  
Vol 4 (1) ◽  
pp. 17
Author(s):  
Joshua Courtney ◽  
Michael Courtney

<p>Over the past few decades, magnetoreception has been discovered in several species of teleost and elasmobranch fishes by employing varied experimental methods including conditioning experiments, observations of alignment with external fields, and experiments with magnetic deterrents. Biogenic magnetite has been confirmed to be an important receptor mechanism in some species, but there is ongoing debate regarding whether other mechanisms are at work. This paper presents evidence for magnetoreception in three additional species, red drum (<em>Sciaenops</em><em> ocellatus</em>), black drum (<em>Pogonias</em><em> </em><em>cromis</em>), and sea catfish (<em>Ariopsis</em><em> </em><em>felis</em>), by employing experiments to test whether fish respond differently to bait on a magnetic hook than on a control. In red drum, the control hook outcaught the magnetic hook by 32-18 for Χ<sup>2</sup>=3.92 and a <em>P</em>-value of 0.048. Black drum showed a significant attraction for the magnetic hook, which prevailed over the control hook by 11-3 for Χ<sup>2</sup>=4.57 and a <em>P</em>-value of 0.033. Gafftopsail catfish (<em>Bagre</em><em> marinus</em>) showed no preference with a 31-35 split between magnetic hook and control for Χ<sup>2</sup>=0.242 and a <em>P</em>-value of 0.623. In a sample of 100 sea catfish in an analogous experiment using smaller hooks, the control hook was preferred 62-38 for Χ<sup>2</sup>=5.76 and a <em>P</em>-value of &lt; 0.001. Such a simple method for identifying magnetoreceptive species may quickly expand the number of known magnetoreceptive species and allow for easier access to magnetoreceptive species and thus facilitate testing of magnetoreceptive hypotheses.</p>


2014 ◽  
Vol 155 (24) ◽  
pp. 939-948 ◽  
Author(s):  
L. János Kálmán ◽  
Xénia Gonda ◽  
Lajos Kemény ◽  
Zoltán Rihmer ◽  
Zoltán Janka

Stress is considered as a major contributor to the development and exacerbation of psoriasis by a significant proportion of patients and dermatologists. As both stressor and its effects are subject-dependent, thus extremely difficult to measure, our understanding of the exact role of stress in disease development was limited for a long time. In the past decade several new studies were carried out which expanded our knowledge on the pathophysiologic processes linking stress to psoriasis via with their objective measurements and the applied new techniques. The authors review the current literature of both psychological (alexithymia, personality, affect) and biological (cortisol, epinephrine, neurogenic inflammation) factors influencing stress perception and response in psoriasis. Results of recent investigations support previous reports about the interaction between stress and psoriasis with objective evidence. Knowing how effective stress-reducing psychopharmacologic and psychotherapeutic interventions are in the treatment of psoriasis the authors hope that this review contributes to a wider acceptance of the psychosomatic attitude in everyday dermatologic practice. Orv. Hetil., 2014, 155(24), 939–948.


Author(s):  
Josep Valls-Solé

Reflex studies are an important part of clinical neurophysiology assessment in health and disease. They are essential to get information on conduction in proximal segments of peripheral nerves, spinal and supraspinal integration of sensory inputs on the motor pathway, and excitability of motor structures. They do not require special equipment, except for a sweep-triggering hammer that is essential, for instance, to elicit monosynaptic reflexes, such as the jaw jerk. For consensual reflexes, it is also recommended to use two recording channels, which facilitate recognition of potential disturbances in the afferent or efferent path of the reflex. What follows is a review of some of the most relevant reflexes that can be studied for neurophysiology assessment in clinical practice.


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