CHARACTERISTICS OF ELECTROMYOGRAPHIC PARAMETERS IN PROGRESSIVE MUSCULAR DYSTROPHIES
Keywords:
progressive muscular dystrophy, electromyography, motor unit potentials, myopathic changes, diagnostic biomarkers, disease progressionAbstract
To evaluate the specific characteristics of electromyographic parameters in patients with progressive muscular dystrophies (PMD) and determine their diagnostic and prognostic significance. Materials and Methods: Between 2022-2024, 158 patients with PMD were studied: Duchenne muscular dystrophy (45 patients), Becker muscular dystrophy (38 patients), Erb-Roth dystrophy (42 patients), and Landouzy-Dejerine dystrophy (33 patients). Control group consisted of 55 healthy individuals. Needle electromyography, nerve conduction studies, and quantitative EMG analysis were performed using standardized protocols. Motor unit potential parameters, spontaneous activity, recruitment patterns, and conduction velocities were analyzed. All PMD types showed characteristic myopathic changes with significant differences between subtypes. Duchenne type demonstrated the most severe alterations: reduced motor unit potential amplitude (284±89 μV vs 1245±156 μV in controls), decreased duration (6.8±2.1 ms vs 12.4±2.8 ms), increased polyphasia (68.4±12.3% vs 15.2±4.1%), and abundant spontaneous activity. Progressive correlation between EMG severity and clinical disability was observed (r=0.79-0.85). Electromyographic parameters provide valuable biomarkers for PMD diagnosis, subtype differentiation, disease progression monitoring, and therapeutic response assessment. Quantitative EMG analysis enhances diagnostic precision and prognostic accuracy in clinical practice.
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