Global Perceptions and Utilization of Clinical Neurophysiology in Movement Disorders

Area of Science:

• Neurology
• Clinical Neurophysiology
• Movement Disorders

Background:

• Clinical neurophysiology (CNP) employs neurophysiological techniques for accurate diagnosis, severity assessment, and treatment response measurement in clinical practice.
• Despite evidence of CNP's utility in Movement Disorders (MD), its adoption in routine clinical practice remains limited.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the current availability and global perceptions of diagnostic CNP within Movement Disorder (MD) clinical practice.
• To identify key challenges hindering the implementation of diagnostic CNP in the management of MD.

Main Methods:

• An online survey was distributed to International Parkinson and Movement Disorders Society (IPMDS) members in August 2021.
• Descriptive statistics analyzed survey responses, with results presented by IPMDS geographical sections (Pan-American, European, African, Asian/Oceanian).

Main Results:

• 491 IPMDS members responded; a significant portion lacked formal diagnostic CNP training, particularly in African (65%) and Pan-American (63%) sections.
• Electroencephalography (EEG) and surface EMG were the most utilized CNP techniques.
• Respondents widely considered CNP valuable for MD assessment, with 'lack of training' identified as a primary implementation barrier across all regions.

Conclusions:

• Clinical neurophysiology (CNP) is recognized as a valuable diagnostic tool for Movement Disorders (MD).
• Significant challenges, notably insufficient training, impede the broader clinical application of CNP in MD.