NEURO ELECTROPHYSIOLOGICAL TESTS

    Your doctor may order an EMG if you have signs or symptoms that may indicate a nerve or muscle disorder. Such symptoms may include:

• Tingling

• Numbness

• Muscle weakness

• Muscle pain or cramping

• Certain types of limb pain

EMG NCV is often necessary to help diagnose conditions such as:

• Muscle disorders, such as muscular dystrophy or polymyositis

• Diseases affecting the connection between the nerve and the muscle, such as myasthenia gravis

• Disorders of nerves outside the spinal cord (peripheral nerves), such as carpal tunnel syndrome or peripheral neuropathies

• Disorders that affect the motor neurons in the brain or spinal cord, such as amyotrophic lateral sclerosis or polio

• Disorders that affect the nerve root, such as a herniated disk in the spine

An electroencephalogram (EEG) is a test that measure electrical activity in the brain using small, metal discs (electrodes) attached to the scalp. Brain cells communicate via electrical impulses and are active all the time, even during asleep. This activity shows up as wavy lines on an EEG recording. 

An EEG is one of the main diagnostic tests for epilepsy. An EEG can also play a role in diagnosing other brain disorders. 

          An EEG can find changes in brain activity that might be useful in diagnosing brain disorders, especially epilepsy or another seizure disorder. An EEG might also be helpful for diagnosing or treating:

• Brain tumors

• Brain damage from head injury

• Brain dysfunction that can have a variety of causes (encephalopathy)

• Sleep disorders

• Inflammation of the brain (herpes encephalitis)

• Stroke

• Sleep disorders

• Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease

An EEG might also be used to confirm brain death in someone in a persistent coma. A continuous EEG is used to help find the right level of anesthesia for someone in a medically induced coma.

A VEP test assesses the optic nerve pathways function which is located between the eye and the brain. It is a painless test recommended by your consultant if they have concerns about how your nerves are working or if you have had any changes in your vision. 

The blink reflex (BR) test, which assesses damage to facial nerves by recording the action potential of the orbicularis oculi muscles in response to electrical stimulation of the nerves, has been shown useful in estimating the severity of facial palsy.