What’s electrodiagnosis?

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Electrodiagnosis is a medical procedure that uses an electrical stimulus to examine the neurophysiology of the body. Its main purpose is to assist doctors in diagnosing muscle and nerve diseases. Numerous medical procedures use electrodiagnosis to study different parts of the body. These include electromyography (EMG), electroencephalography (EEG), electrocardiography (ECG), and neurodiagnostic studies (NDS).

Physicians specializing in physical medicine generally undergo electrodiagnostic training as a requirement to enable them to understand and perform tests accurately. A physician well trained in electrodiagnosis can improve patient care by pinpointing a nerve, muscle injury, or muscle disease, which helps direct appropriate treatment and provide a more accurate diagnosis.

Neurophysiology involves the nervous and muscular systems. The brain produces electrical signals that travel up the spinal cord to the extremities of the body. At nerve endings, the electrical signal creates a chemical reaction that contracts a muscle, causing it to move.

An electrodiagnostic test works by taking advantage of the nature of neurophysiology. The test administrator applies an electrical stimulus directly to the patient’s muscles or nerves. The diagnostic equipment then interprets the response of the muscles and nerves to check for any irregularities. In this way, the doctor can determine the location of a lesion, its severity, prognosis and diagnosis.

Several electrodiagnostic procedures are available to inspect specific parts of the body. Electromyography (EMG) is a commonly used electrodiagnostic method to detect muscle disorders. Disorders such as amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, myasthenia gravis, and carpal tunnel syndrome are usually diagnosed via EMG.

To perform an EMG test, an external electrode sends electrical impulses to the affected muscle. Another electrode, shaped like a small needle, is then inserted into the muscle to record the neurological response. The response is evaluated at different levels of muscle contraction to make a diagnosis.

Brain activity is analyzed through a noninvasive electrodiagnostic procedure called electroencephalography (EEG). It aids in the diagnosis of many conditions, including epilepsy, strokes, and cancers. Also, an EEG can confirm brain death in a comatose patient.

Electrodes in the form of small metal discs are placed on the patient’s scalp. The disks are connected to a machine that detects the patient’s brain waves and transforms them into information that can be interpreted by a specialist. In this procedure, the patient typically lies down and is asked not to make any sudden head movements. The test usually takes 1 to 2 hours to complete.

Heart conditions like cardiomyopathy, coronary artery disease, arrhythmias, and pericarditis are diagnosed with the help of electrocardiography (ECG). The entire procedure is quick and painless and can be performed anywhere an ECG machine is available. If needed, a patient can take a 24-hour reading to provide a more detailed picture of how the heart is working.

In order for the reading to be taken, small electrodes are attached to the patient’s chest, wrist and ankles. These electrodes are connected with wires to the ECG machine. This records and translates the electrical impulses that occur just before the heart muscle contracts. A doctor then evaluates the result to arrive at a diagnosis.

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