Quantitative Electrophysiological Neuromuscular Characterization

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The structures and actions of nerves and muscles are studied by analyzing the electrophysiological signals they generate. Electromyographic (EMG) signals are used to study processes affecting skeletal muscle morphology and physiology. Skeletal muscles are organized into motor units (MUs); groups of fibres activated by single motor neurons. Each MU generates motor unit potentials (MUPs), which are summations of muscle fibre potentials (MFPs) generated by active MU fibres. During muscle contraction, MUs are repetitively active. Each active MU generates a motor unit potential train (MUPT), and an EMG signal is the summation of the MUPTs of active MUs. Neuromuscular disorders and aging affect the morphology and physiology of MUs, and the MFPs, MUPs and MUPTs they generate. Currently, the diagnosis of many neuromuscular disorders relies on subjective and qualitative analysis of the MUPs and MUPTs of needle-detected EMG signals. Patient outcomes are therefore highly dependent on individual physician expertise and training, and it is very difficult to assess disease progression and provide reliable prognoses. Current studies of the neuromuscular effects of aging use statistics of composite EMG signals, which cannot provide detailed individual MU information. As such, these methods are unable to detect important neuromuscular changes.