title: Needle electromyography of the frontalis muscle in patients with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis.
abstract: We sought to determine which muscles to choose for better assessment of the craniobulbar region in establishing the diagnosis of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS).
  
  
  
  We studied the frontalis muscle in 83 controls and compared it with the tongue, sternocleidomastoid (SCM), and trapezius muscles in 105 definite or probable ALS patients (54 bulbar, 51 nonbulbar).
  
  
  
  More patients achieved complete relaxation of the frontalis muscle than the tongue or SCM. Motor unit potentials were of longer duration and higher amplitude in ALS patients than in controls (P < 0.05). The frontalis had the same frequency of spontaneous potentials as the tongue, SCM, and trapezius muscles in bulbar ALS patients, but fewer than in the trapezius in nonbulbar patients.
  
  
  
  Examining the frontalis provides useful information in establishing the diagnosis of ALS by identifying clinically evident or subclinical abnormalities in the craniobulbar region. Muscle Nerve 54: 1093-1096, 2016.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, Beijing Tiantan Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, 100050, China.
authors.forename: Hua
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Pan
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, Beijing Tiantan Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, 100050, China.
authors.forename: Fan
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Jian
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, Beijing Tiantan Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, 100050, China.
authors.forename: Jinxi
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Lin
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, Beijing Tiantan Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, 100050, China.
authors.forename: Na
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, Beijing Tiantan Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, 100050, China.
authors.forename: Zaiqiang
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, Beijing Tiantan Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, 100050, China.
authors.forename: Yongjun
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, Peking Union Medical College Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Science, Beijing, China.
authors.forename: Liying
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Cui
authors.affiliation: Division of Clinical Electrophysiology, Department of Neurology, College of Medicine, University of Iowa, Iowa City, Iowa, USA.
authors.forename: Jun
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Kimura
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000690:Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000473:pathology; D016009:Chi-Square Distribution; D004576:Electromyography; D019054:Evoked Potentials, Motor / Q000502:physiology*; D005152:Facial Muscles / Q000503:physiopathology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009334:Neck Muscles / Q000503:physiopathology; D009339:Needles; D064171:Superficial Back Muscles / Q000503:physiopathology; D014059:Tongue / Q000294:innervation; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: amyotrophic lateral sclerosis; craniobulbar region; electromyography; frontalis muscle; spontaneous activity; tongue