Nerve conduction studies: clinical challenges and engineering solutions.

Nerve conduction studies (NCSs) have played an important role in the evaluation of neuromuscular disease for the past 50 years. When patients present with complaints of pain, numbness, tingling, or weakness, NCS is often one of the earliest tests obtained by physicians, because it enables the quantitative assessment of peripheral nerve and muscle function and, therefore, aid the physician in identifying the physiological source of the patient's symptoms. NCSs involve the delivery of electric stimuli to peripheral nerves at accessible locations on the human body and the recording of electrophysiological responses.

Repeatability of nerve conduction measurements derived entirely by computer methods.

Background: Nerve conduction studies are an objective, quantitative, and reproducible measure of peripheral nerve function and are widely used in the diagnosis of neuropathies. The purpose of this study is to determine the reliability of nerve conduction parameters derived entirely from computer based data acquisition and waveform cursor assignments and to quantify the relative contributions of test variability sources.

Methods: Thirty volunteers, some with symptoms suggestive of neuropathies; of these, 29 completed the study.

Implementation and evaluation of a statistical framework for nerve conduction study reference range calculation.

Nerve conduction studies (NCS) play a central role in the clinical evaluation of neuropathies. Their clinical utilization depends on reference ranges that define the expected parameter values in disease-free individuals. In this paper, a statistical framework is proposed and described in detail for deriving NCS parameter reference ranges.

Utilization of nerve conduction studies for the diagnosis of polyneuropathy in patients with diabetes: a retrospective analysis of a large patient series.

Background: Diabetic polyneuropathy (DPN) is a disabling complication of diabetes mellitus. A population-based analysis of physician utilization of nerve conduction studies (NCS) for the assessment of DPN was conducted.

Methods: All electrodiagnostic encounters over a 30-month period using a computer-based neurodiagnostic instrument linked to a data registry were analyzed retrospectively.

Point-of-service nerve conduction studies: an example of industry-driven disruptive innovation in health care.

Nerve conduction studies (NCS) and needle electromyography are useful and established diagnostic procedures for evaluating patients with signs and symptoms of neuromuscular disease. Although technological advances have occurred since the introduction of commercial electromyography instrumentation in the 1950s, most improvements have been evolutionary and were designed to benefit traditional users--neurologists and physiatrists specializing in electromyography. In the past seven years, instruments have been introduced that automate NCS and thereby enable a broader group of physicians, including internists and orthopedic surgeons, to perform these studies and utilize electromyographic data in the care of their patients.

Repeatability of nerve conduction measurements using automation.

Objective: To quantify nerve conduction study (NCS) reproducibility utilizing an automated NCS system (NC-stat, NeuroMetrix, Inc.).

Method: Healthy volunteers without neuropathic symptoms participated in the study.