title: Estimation of the number of motor units based on macro-EMG.
abstract: The technique of the macro-EMG was used to estimate the number of motor units in the tibialis anterior muscles of healthy subjects in a wide range of ages, and of patients with myasthenia gravis and patients with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis or spinal muscular atrophy. The results obtained suggest a decrease in the number of motor units in the tibialis anterior muscle with increasing age in normal subjects. In myasthenic patients the motor unit count was within the normal range for their age group. Patients with motor neuron disorders on the average had a very low number of motor units.
authors: Division of Molecular Neurobiology, Rudolf Magnus Institute for Pharmacology, Utrecht, The Netherlands.
authors: P
authors: P
authors: de Koning
authors: G H
authors: GH
authors: Wieneke
authors: D
authors: D
authors: van der Most van Spijk
authors: A C
authors: AC
authors: van Huffelen
authors: W H
authors: WH
authors: Gispen
authors: F G
authors: FG
authors: Jennekens
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000690:Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis / Q000503:physiopathology; D004576:Electromyography / Q000379:methods*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009046:Motor Neurons / Q000502:physiology*; D009132:Muscles / Q000294:innervation*; D009134:Muscular Atrophy, Spinal / Q000503:physiopathology; D009157:Myasthenia Gravis / Q000503:physiopathology*; D009468:Neuromuscular Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000503:physiopathology*; D013979:Tibial Nerve / Q000503:physiopathology*