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Updated: Jul 19, 2026
Assessment of Neuromuscular Function Using Percutaneous Electrical Nerve Stimulation
Published on: September 13, 2015
Evaluation of neuromuscular transmission by using monopolar needle electrode
K Tutkavul1, M B Baslo, M Ertas
12nd Clinic of Neurology, Haydarpasa Numune Education and Research Hospital, Uskūdar/Istanbul, Turkey. tutkavulkemal@yahoo.com
Objective:
To evaluate the value of single-fibre electromyography (SFEMG) with monopolar electrode (MNPE) in revealing neuromuscular transmission dysfunction.
Material And Methods:
We examined the extensor digitorum communis muscle by using single-fibre electrode (SFE) and MNPE sequentially, in randomly assigned 20 healthy volunteers and in 17 patients with known myasthenia gravis (MG). The high-pass filter setting was 3 kHz for MNPE. Ten individual jitter values were calculated for each electrode in every muscle. Repetitive nerve stimulation (RNS) test on trapezius muscle was performed on 15 patients.
Results:
In controls, the mean jitter values were 27 +/- 9 (10-59) micro s with SFE, and 21 +/- 7.2 (9-56) micro s with MNPE (P = 0.001). In the MG group, the mean jitter values were 52.4 +/- 38 (12-221) micro s with SFE, and 51.8 +/- 34.7 (12-179) micro s with MNPE. Both electrodes identified junction dysfunction in 14 patients. RNS revealed decrement in four patients but 11.
Conclusion:
SFEMG with SFE is still the gold standard; however, SFEMG with MNPE is superior to RNS like SFEMG with SFE.
