Evoked muscular potentials in laryngeal muscles

Neuromyography is the stimulation of a nerve with recording of the electrically induced muscle activity of the innervated muscle. Reflexmyography is the stimulation of an afferent nerve with recording of the reflex muscular response. In the case of the larynx, the superior laryngeal nerve is stimulated, and a muscle response is picked up in the intrinsic laryngeal muscles. With the use of neuromyography and reflexmyography, it has become possible to test the complex polysynaptic reflex pathways of laryngeal innervation, and to obtain valuable information about the site and the degree of the nerve injury, as well as about the state of nerve regeneration. Further neurophysiological and clinical investigation in the field of supranuclear pathways of phonation seems very promising.