The Physiological and Technical Basis of Electromyography

Amid the plethora of currently available manuals on electromyography (EMG), this textbook provides the basic technical and neurophysiological underpinning of EMG, nerve conduction studies, and somatosensory evoked potentials. Primarily intended for clinical electromyographers but also of value to neurologists and physiatrists with a special interest in neuromuscular disease, this book views EMG studies as logical extensions of the clinical examination. The limitations as well as the capabilities of EMG are clearly explained. The first three chapters form a review of membrane electronics, impulse conduction, and the recording of conducted electrical potentials in normal and abnormal nerves. The fourth chapter is a self-sufficient review of the electrophysiological background of somatosensory evoked potentials. Similarly, chapter 10 summarizes the basis for neurophysiological studies of the neuromuscular junction. The core of the book, chapters 5 through 9, is devoted to an explanation of how EMG assesses the health of a motor unit. Normal and