title: Repetitive Facial Nerve Stimulation Using Occipitalis Muscle.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  We aimed to evaluate the reliability and reproducibility of repetitive nerve stimulation recorded on occipitalis muscle by comparing recordings on nasalis muscle in healthy subjects.
  
  
  METHODS
  A total of 23 healthy subjects (mean age: 44.7 ± 13.8 years) underwent detailed neurological examination and repetitive nerve stimulation using nasalis and occipitalis muscles. Amplitude and area percentage changes of compound muscle action potentials (CMAPs) after repetitive nerve stimulation with different frequency were compared between right and left sides and between recordings on nasalis and occipitalis muscles.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Comparisons of percentage amplitude changes of nasalis and occipitalis CMAPs showed no differences (+0.1% ± 3.8% vs. +1.4% ± 3.9%, P = 0.129). Average area percentage change of nasalis CMAPs was 0.3% ± 19.0%, whereas the value of occipitalis CMAP was +2.8% ± 15.2% (P = 0.851). Comparisons of nasalis and occipitalis CMAPs values showed no differences.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The repetitive nerve stimulation recorded on occipitalis muscle is simple, easy to apply, noninvasive, consistent, and reproducible.
authors.affiliation: *Outpatient Electromyography Laboratory, Istanbul Training and Research Hospital, Istanbul, Turkey; †Division of Clinical Neurophysiology, Department of Neurology, Cerrahpasa School of Medicine, Istanbul University, Istanbul, Turkey; and ‡Division of Clinical Neurophysiology, Department of Neurology, School of Medicine, Karadeniz Technical University, Trabzon, Turkey.
authors.forename: Turgut
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Adatepe
authors.forename: Ayşegül
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Gündüz
authors.forename: Ahmet
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Yildirim
authors.forename: Nurten
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Uzun
mesh_terms: D000200:Action Potentials / Q000502:physiology*; D000328:Adult; D004576:Electromyography / Q000379:methods / Q000592:standards*; D005152:Facial Muscles / Q000502:physiology*; D005154:Facial Nerve / Q000502:physiology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012535:Scalp / Q000502:physiology*; D004561:Transcutaneous Electric Nerve Stimulation / Q000379:methods / Q000592:standards*