Review of Quantitative and Automated Needle Electromyographic Analyses

Conventional clinical electromyography involves subjective interpretation of the signal recorded from human muscle. A variety of recognition techniques have been applied to obtain objective quantitative tmeasures. This paper reviews the evolution of analytic techniques applied to the electromyogram. Included are a discussion of motor unit action potentials (amplitude, duration, and shape), their identification and interaction within an interference pattern, and application of mathematical modeling techniques to the analysis of complex interference patterns. The clinical applications of current electromyographic analyses are summarized.