Optical electromyography for the diagnosis of nerve and muscle disorders

神经和肌肉的问题会导致虚弱。这可能会给我们都认为理所当然的活动带来困难，比如拿着笔或在房子里走来走去。肌肉无力的潜在原因有很多，医生可能需要很长时间才能找出一个人虚弱的原因。通常，需要进行大量的测试。最常用的两种检查是肌电检查和肌肉活组织检查。在EMG中，一根小针被插入肌肉，并记录肌肉的电活动。这可以为医生提供关于虚弱的原因的线索，但在大多数情况下，这些发现并不能诊断出具体的情况。有时还可能需要肌肉活组织检查。这是一种更具侵入性的测试，在这种测试中，肌肉被切下并送到实验室进行进一步测试。结果可能需要很长时间才能得出，在此期间，患者不确定自己出了什么问题。为了尝试和改进肌肉无力患者的诊断方法，我们创造了一种新的测试，我们称之为“光学肌电”。在这种情况下，肌电测试是与单一颜色的光束相结合进行的。肌电信号可以帮助将光线定向到需要它的地方。当光线与肌肉接触时，其中一些肌肉的能量或颜色发生了变化。在我们之前的工作中，我们已经证明，我们可以收集经过这种变化的光，并用它来识别肌肉无力的原因。与肌肉活组织检查后漫长的等待不同，用光线照射肌肉可以非常快地产生效果。到目前为止，我们已经用肌肉活检样本做到了这一点，但还没有在活着的患者身上做到这一点。在这个项目中，我们将开发“光学肌电”设备，以便可以在人身上进行记录。我们将获得适当监管机构的批准来这样做。然后，我们将在正在调查导致肌肉无力的患者身上测试我们的新设备。这项研究将告诉我们，‘光学肌电’是否可以安全地用于患者，以及我们是否可以进行高质量的记录。我们还将了解患者对我们的新测试的看法。我们希望这将导致这项技术的进一步发展，并最终实现一种能够更快地为患者提供诊断的测试，帮助他们获得针对自己病情的正确治疗。

Problems with nerves and muscles lead to weakness. This can result in difficulties with activities we all take for granted, such as holding a pen or walking around the house. There are many potential causes of muscle weakness and it can take a long time for doctors to work out why someone is weak. Often, lots of tests are required. Two of the most commonly used tests are electromyography, known as 'EMG', and muscle biopsy. In EMG, a small needle is inserted into muscles and the electrical activity of the muscle is recorded. This can give doctors clues as to the cause of the weakness, but most of the time the findings do not diagnose a specific condition. Sometimes a muscle biopsy may also be required. This is a more invasive test, in which muscle is cut out and sent to a laboratory for further tests. The results can take a long time to come back, during which patients are uncertain about what is wrong with them.To try and improve the way in which patients with weak muscles are diagnosed, we have created a new test which we call 'optical EMG'. In this, the EMG test is carried out in combination with a beam of light of a single colour. The EMG signal can help target the light to where it is needed. When the light makes contact with the muscle, some of it has its energy, or colour, changed. In our previous work we have shown that we can collect light which has undergone this change and use it to identify the causes of muscle weakness. Shining the light at muscle gives very quick results, unlike the long wait after a muscle biopsy. So far, we have done this with muscle biopsy samples but not in living patients. In this project we will develop the 'optical EMG' equipment so that recordings can be performed in people. We will get approval from the appropriate regulatory authorities to do this. We will then test our new device in patients under investigation for conditions that cause muscle weakness. The study will tell us if 'optical EMG' can be used safely in patients and if we can make high quality recordings. We will also learn what patients think of our new test. We hope this will lead to further development of the technology and ultimately a test that can provide patients with a diagnosis much more quickly, helping them get the right care for their condition.