- Diff Dx:
- Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis;
- Poliomyelitis;
- Spinal Muscular Atrophy;
- EMG will reveal a neuropathic disorder, w/ muscle denervation;
- nerve-conduction velocities are normal;
- EMG: Diff Dx:
- typically, an EMG of patient w/ myopathic disease shows a decreased amplitude and duration of response;
- in contrast, an EMG of a patient w/ a neuropathic disorder shows an increased amplitude & duration of response;
- demyelinating peripheral neuropathies show slowed nerve-conduction velocity;
- nerve-conduction velocities are normal in patients who have SMA;
- Fasiculation Potentials:
- fasciculation potentials are caused by the spontaneous discharges of group of muscle fibers representing a whole or part of motor unit,
usually producing a visible twitching in the muscle;
- fasciculation potentials most often occur in disease of anterior horn cells;
- commonly occur in:
- ALS;
- progressive spinal muscular atrophy;
- polio;
- syringomyelia