Fasciculation potentials in high-density surface EMG

Fasciculation potentials (FPs) are observed in healthy individuals, but also in patients with neurogenic disorders. The exact site of origin and the clinical relevance in distinguishing, for example, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) from other neurogenic diseases based on specific characteristics of the FPs is still a matter of debate and needs further exploration. This report describes the use of high-density surface EMG (HD-sEMG), with multiple electrodes in a compact grid to noninvasively record FPs. The technique provides both temporal and spatial information of fasciculations. Examples of the FPs of a patient diagnosed with definite ALS are presented. FPs are shown in different electrode montages and the unique spatial characteristics of different FPs are presented. During 30-second recordings, 137 FPs were detected that via a decomposition algorithm could be assigned to 11 different underlying sources. It is concluded that HD-sEMG, both because of its noninvasive character and the unique spatiotemporal information, is very suitable to examine fasciculations. It allows long stable recording times and provides quantitative information. This electrophysiologic tool is expected to expand the existing knowledge of FP properties.