title: [Electromyography in myopathies].
abstract: Despite increasing importance of molecular genetics, electromyography has preserved its place as a valuable tool in the diagnostic procedure of myopathies. Conventional electromyography allows the assessment of spontaneous activity, motor unit action potentials and interference patterns. In myopathies, fibrillations and positive sharp waves can be found in the majority of the cases. Motor unit action potentials are of short duration, low amplitude and may show increased polyphasia and number of satellite potentials. The interference pattern may be of low amplitude and compact already at submaximal contraction. Compared to conventional electromyography, automatic interference pattern analysis provides quantitative results and has the higher sensitivity and specificity. Normal conventional or automatic electromyography does not exclude a myopathy. For diagnostic purposes, electromyography will be followed by muscle biopsy and DNA analysis in most of the cases.
authors.affiliation: Neurologisches Krankenhaus Rosenhügel, Wien.
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Finsterer
authors.forename: W
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Muellbacher
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Mamoli
mesh_terms: D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D004576:Electromyography; D006801:Humans; D009046:Motor Neurons / Q000502:physiology; D009468:Neuromuscular Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000209:etiology / Q000503:physiopathology; D011930:Reaction Time / Q000502:physiology; D012815:Signal Processing, Computer-Assisted
vernacular_title: Elektromyographie bei Myopathien.