“Invasive” Diagnostic Procedures: Electromyography, Neurography and Evoked Potentials

Neurophysiology allows a functional test of the motor and sensitive nerve fibres. For doctors, electromyography (EMG) with a concentric needle electrode is the most difficult neurophysiological examination. Detailed knowledge of the anatomy and pathophysiology of the peripheral nerves and muscles is required. The neurophysiological findings must be correlated with the clinical findings. The domain of the EMG and the motor evoked potentials (MEP) is muscle weakness, whereby the MEP serves to differentiate from central pareses. Electroneurography and somatosensitively evoked potentials (SEP) are used for sensory disorders and to distinguish proximal from distal nerve lesions.