Facilitated measurement of neuromuscular junction operational stability

单纤维肌电图术(SFEMG)是一种基于运动单位电位(MUPs)分析的技术集合，使用选择性单纤维(SFN)针电极检测，用于评估人类运动单位肌肉纤维的神经肌肉接头(NMJ)操作的稳定性。该分析侧重于测量对MUP有贡献的成对肌肉纤维电位(MFP)的电位间期(IPIs)的变异性(抖动)。通过从单个运动单元检测到的一组MUP。抖动测量对于诊断NMJ的疾病非常敏感和特异，被认为对治疗和管理NMJ的几种疾病是有用的和重要的。不幸的是，标准的抖动测量目前很难获得。尽管它们需要医生相当多的时间、灵敏和警惕，SFN电极的购买和维护需要患者的大量合作，而且购买和维护SFN电极的费用昂贵。完成SFEMG研究涉及的困难极大地限制了它们的广泛使用。拟议的研究将开发自动化技术来获取合适的EMG信号，并分析采集的信号以获得有价值的抖动相关测量。开发的方法将使SFEMG研究更快、更可靠、更容易完成，从而允许更广泛地使用它们提供的重要信息。

Single fibre electromyography (SFEMG) is a collection of techniques based on the analysis of motor unit potentials (MUPs), detected using selective single-fibre (SFN) needle electrodes, for assessment of the stability of the operation of the neuromuscular junctions (NMJs) of muscle fibres in human motor units.  The analysis focuses on measuring the variability (jitter) of the inter-potential intervals (IPIs) of pairs of muscle fibre potentials (MFPs) contributing to MUPs, across an ensemble of MUPs detected from a single motor unit.  Jitter measurements are very sensitive and specific for the diagnosis of disorders of the NMJ and are considered useful and important for the treatment and management of several disorders of the NMJ.  Unfortunately, standard jitter measurements are currently difficult to obtain.  They take considerable physician time, dexterity and vigilance, require significant cooperation of the patient and the purchase and maintenance of SFN electrodes is expensive.  The difficulties involved with completing SFEMG studies greatly limit their widespread use.   The proposed research will develop automated techniques for acquiring suitable EMG signals and for analyzing the acquired signals to obtain valuable jitter related measurements.  The developed methods will allow SFEMG studies to be more quickly, reliably and readily completed allowing more widespread use of the important information they provide.