Aanem Presents Nerve And Muscle Junction

Dr. Ted Burns interviews Dr. Timothy Dillingham about the Normative Data Taskforce (NDTF) report on establishing high quality reference values for nerve conduction studies (NCS). Because there are not uniform standards for NCS in the United States, the NDTF developed consensus-based methodological criteria for examining NCS and applied this quality criteria to a systematic review of the published literature. The NDTF has done the difficult work of scouring the literature and identifying high quality articles for our members. Nerve conduction testing techniques and normative reference values from these studies that met a high quality standard are now presented for our membership to use in an easy to follow tabular format. Two reports on the work of the NDTF were published in the September issue of Muscle and Nerve: Muscle Nerve. 2016 Sep;54(3):366-70. doi: 10.1002/mus.25204 and Muscle Nerve. 2016 Sep;54(3):371-7.

Rapid Screening for Inflammatory Neuropathies by Standardized Clinical Criteria

Dr. Justin Willer interviews Dr. Kelly Gwathmey about her article, Sensory Neuronopathies. The sensory neuronopathies (or ganglionopathies) are a small subcategory of neuropathies characterized by primary degeneration of the dorsal root ganglia and trigeminal ganglion sensory neurons, resulting in a distinctive clinical presentation. Patients typically have subacute onset of asymmetric, non–length-dependent sensory impairment and early ataxia. The etiologies of acquired sensory neuronopathies are rather limited. Early identification is imperative, as they may herald an underlying malignancy or an autoimmune condition such as Sjögren syndrome. This podcast reviews the Muscle and Nerve article on this subject. Muscle Nerve 53: 8–19, 2016.

Mutations in SEPT9 Cause Heredic Neuralgic Amyotrophy by Phillip Chance, MD and Mark Hannibal, MD

Dr. Stephen Goutman interviews Drs. Pushpa Narayanaswami and Seward Rutkove about their article Critically re-evaluating a common technique: Accuracy, reliability, and confirmation bias of EMG. This study supports that in evaluations of radiculopathy (1) serial EMG studies should be performed by the same electromyographer since intrarater reliability is better than interrater reliability; (2) knowledge of clinical information does not bias EMG interpretation substantially, (3) EMG has moderate diagnostic accuracy for radiculopathy with modest specificity and electromyographers should exercise caution interpreting mild abnormalities. Neurology. 2016 Jan 19:86(3):218-23.

Dr. Justin Willer interviews Dr. Lisa Hobson Webb about her Muscle and Nerve article on safely tapering mycophenolate mofetil in myasthenia gravis patients. MMF is frequently used to treat patients with MG but there is little information to guide clinicians on the safety of reducing the dose in well-controlled patients. Discussion includes standard dosages, determining clinical response to MMF and suggested goals in tapering MMF. Muscle Nerve. 2015 Aug;52:211-5. doi: 10.1002 mus.24694. Epub 2015 Jun 18.

Paraproteinemic Neuropathies

In this second part of the Clinical Presentation and Acquired Causes of Rhabdomyolysis podcast, Dr. Ted Burns interviews Drs. Jessica Nance and Andrew Mammen about their paper Diagnostic evaluation of rhabdomyolysis from the June 2015 issue of Muscle and Nerve. Rhabdomyolysis is characterized by severe acute muscle injury resulting in muscle pain, weakness, and/or swelling with release of myofiber contents into the bloodstream. Symptoms develop over hours to days after an inciting factor and may be associated with dark pigmentation of the urine. This podcast focuses on the inherited etiologies. For the article in Muscle and Nerve refer to Muscle Nerve 51: 793-810, 2015.

Dr. Stephen Goutman interviews Dr. Nadine Attal about the article she coauthored in Lancet Neurology on pharmacotherapy for neuropathic pain in adults. Drs. Goutman and Attal discuss the evidence and limitations supporting each class of medication aimed at the treatment of neuropathic pain and how these recommendations can be incorporated into clinical practice. Lancet Neurol. 2015 Feb;14:162-173.

Dr. Ted Burns interviews Drs. Jessica Nance and Andrew Mammen about their paper Diagnostic evaluation of rhabdomyolysis from the June 2015 issue of Muscle and Nerve. This podcast focuses on the clinical presentation and acquired causes which can include substance abuse, medication or toxic exposures, electrolyte abnormalities, endocrine disturbances, and autoimmune myopathies. For the article in Muscle and Nerve refer to Muscle Nerve 51: 793-810, 2015.

Patterns of Clinical and Electrodiagnostic Abnormalities in Early Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis by Drs. Neil Simon and Noah Kolb

Mary E. Franklin, CNCT, R. EEGT. interviews William W. Campbell, MD on NCS technique for ulnar neuropathy

NCS Technique for Ulnar Neuropathy

Neuralgic Amyotrophy (Parsonage-Turner): Etiology, Treatment, Natural History by Nens Van Alfen

Neuralgic Amyotrophy (Parsonage-Turner): Presentation & Diagnosis by Nens Van Alfen

Whole Exome Sequencing by Dr. Daniel MacArthur

Next Generation Sequencing and its Impact on Neuromuscular Medicine by Dr. Daniel MacArthur

ALS Onset is Influenced by the Burden of Rare Variants in Known ALS Genes by Drs. Baloh and Harms

Muscle Intrusion as a Potential Cause of Carpal Tunnel Syndrome by Dr. Michael Cartwright

Dermatomyositis and Autoantibodies by Dr. Andrew L. Mammen. This is part three of a three part series on immune-mediated myopathies and autoantibodies.