Abstract Details

Title History of Electromyography (EMG) and Nerve Conduction Studies (NCS): A Tribute to the Founding Fathers

Topic History of Neurology

Presentation(s) P05 - (-)

Poster/Presentation
Number 259

Objective

Background BACKGROUND: In 1771, Galvani Showed that electrical stimulation of muscular tissue produces contraction and force. This electrical response was not quantified until the development of improved recording equipment including the cathode ray oscilloscope by Gasser and Erlanger in 1922 and the amplifier and the oscillograph by Matthews in 1928. The first modern EMG machine was constructed by Jasper in 1942 at McGill University, Montreal, Canada.

Design/Methods DESIGN/METHODS: Review of the original publications of Bronk, Denny-Brown, Larrabee, Lambert and their colleagues.

Results RESULTS: In 1929, Adrian and Bronk devised a method to record a single motor unit action potential (MUAP) in human subjects by connecting concentric and bipolar needle electrodes to an amplifier and a loud speaker. In 1938, Denny-Brown and Pennybacker recorded and described fasciculations, or action potentials of single contracting or spontaneously firing motor units. They also separated fasciculations from the action potentials of single dennervated muscle fibers and thus described fibrillations. Toward the end of World War II, Larrabee, Hodes and German began measuring the combined potential of individual muscle fibers from the surface of the muscle after stimulating the supplying nerve percutaneously; later known as compound muscle action potential (CMAP). They also quantified the differences in CMAP waveforms when stimulating above and below the site of peripheral nerve injury in war victims. In 1957, Lambert and Eaton described the electrophysiologic features of a newly recognized disease they called the myasthenic syndrome sometimes associated with lung carcinoma.

Conclusions CONCLUSIONS: Bronk and Denny-Brown should be credited for characterizing the normal and abnormal MUAPs respectively. Larrabee and Hodes were the first to generate and record CMAP. Lambert and Eaton differentiated pre- from post-synaptic neuromuscular transmission disorders.

Authors/Disclosures
Mohamed Kazamel, MD (UAB) PRESENTER	Dr. Kazamel has received personal compensation in the range of $5,000-$9,999 for serving as a Consultant for Alnylam Pharamceuticals. Dr. Kazamel has received personal compensation in the range of $500-$4,999 for serving as a Consultant for Akcea Therapeutics.
Paula P. Warren, MD (The Headache Specialists, PLLC)	No disclosure on file
Mohammad Alsharabati, MD (Advocate Medical Group)	No disclosure on file
Shin J. Oh, MD, FAAN	No disclosure on file
	No disclosure on file

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