Clinical electroneurography: statistical analysis of controlled measures in twenty-two normal subjects.
Electroneurography, an objective electrophysiologic measurement of a muscle compound action potential, is used to assess the integrity of a peripheral motor nerve. This paper describes how to perform electroneurography with particular attention to control of patient and instrumentation variables. Twenty-two normal adult subjects were tested in a balanced, designed experiment. The resultant average difference between the right and left halves of the face was not significant. The standard deviation of this difference was divided into three components: test-retest daily, and intersubject. The data suggest that the most significant source of error in electroneurography is test-retest variability (p less than 0.05) and that repeated and averaged measures on a given patient will increase the precision of the test. As further understanding and experience are gained, electroneurography measurements should be interpreted in light of clinical findings and more traditional tests.
D000200:Action Potentials; D000328:Adult; D002675:Child, Preschool; D004566:Electrodes; D004568:Electrodiagnosis / Q000379:methods*; D005152:Facial Muscles / Q000294:innervation*; D005154:Facial Nerve / Q000502:physiology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D008297:Male; D009046:Motor Neurons / Q000502:physiology; D009410:Nerve Degeneration; D009431:Neural Conduction; D011446:Prospective Studies