Implementing Motor Unit Number Index (MUNIX) in a large clinical trial: Real world experience from 27 centres.

Objective: Motor Unit Number Index (MUNIX) is a quantitative neurophysiological method that reflects loss of motor neurons in Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) in longitudinal studies. It has been utilized in one natural history ALS study and one drug trial (Biogen USA) after training and qualification of raters.

Methods: Prior to testing patients, evaluators had to submit test-retest data of 4 healthy volunteers.

Digital nerve somatosensory evoked potentials and MRI. Correlation analysis in patients with symptomatic cervical spine disorders.

Objectives: Analysis of the relationship between the symptoms, digital nerve somatosensory evoked potentials (D-SEP) and MRI, in patients with symptomatic cervical spine disorders (CSD).

Materials And Methods: MRI and D-SEP following electrical stimulation of digits I, III and V in 44 patients.

Results: Symptoms in the fingers correlated significantly with disk herniation at the corresponding cervical level and with spinal cord impingement at one or two adjacent rostral segments on MRI.

Sensory recovery after hand reimplantation: a clinical, morphological, and neurophysiological study in humans.

Despite fairly good return of motor function, patients who have amputated hands reimplanted demonstrate poor sensory recovery and severe cold intolerance, two variables that are difficult to quantify reliably. In this study we wanted to find out if there is a correlation between morphological findings of sensory and sympathetic reinnervation and clinical and neurophysiological variables. Skin was biopsied from the reimplanted and corresponding area in the normal hands of eight patients who had sustained a hand amputation and subsequent reimplantation.

Somatosensory evoked potentials following stimulation of digital nerves.

Cortical and spinal somatosensory evoked potentials (SEP) were recorded in healthy individuals following stimulation of digits I, III, and V with an intensity below discomfort level. Peak latency of the earliest cortical negativity (N1) was found to be the most consistent and easily measured parameter, whereas a spinal potential (Cv) was not elicited in all subjects. Descriptive statistics, Student's paired t-test as well as simple and multiple regression, were used for computer analysis of N1 and Cv peak latencies and central conduction time.