Effect of small motor unit potentials on the motor unit number estimate.
Small surface motor unit potentials (S-MUPs) may have a negative influence on the variability of the motor unit number estimate (MUNE). According to published consensus criteria S-MUPs with a negative peak amplitude smaller than 10 muV should be omitted. The effect of omitting small S-MUPs on the MUNE was evaluated using a simulation model. The model incorporated a healthy and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) distribution formed with real S-MUPs. Using a random drawing process the MUNE was calculated with and without small S-MUPs. In the healthy population 27% of all S-MUPs were small. MUNE determined without these S-MUPs was marginally less variable. However, MUNE values dropped about 24% at a sample size of 20. In ALS, only 12% of the total population of 130 S-MUPs were small. MUNE dropped about 12% without the small S-MUPs. By omitting small S-MUPs the differences between the healthy and ALS distributions become smaller. Therefore, incorporating small S-MUPs in the estimate is suggested.
van Dijk
Johannes P
JP
Department of Clinical Neurophysiology, Radboud University Nijmegen Medical Centre, Nijmegen, The Netherlands. h.vandijk@neuro.umcn.nl
Zwarts
Machiel J
MJ
Schelhaas
Helenius J
HJ
Stegeman
Dick F
DF
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000690:Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology; D002452:Cell Count; D003198:Computer Simulation; D004567:Electrodes, Implanted; D004576:Electromyography; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008564:Membrane Potentials / Q000502:physiology; D008875:Middle Aged; D009046:Motor Neurons / Q000502:physiology*; D018485:Muscle Fibers, Skeletal / Q000502:physiology*; D018401:Sample Size