Overview of the Application of EMG Recording in the Diagnosis and Approach of Neurological Disorders

The Electromyography (EMG) is a neurophysiological technique for examining the electrical activity of skeletal muscles. The source of electrical signal in EMG is the muscle membrane potential. The muscle fibers innervated by the axonal branches of a motor neuron form a motor unit (MU). The muscle fibers of each motor unit are intermingled with fibers of other MUs [1]. The summation of action potentials of MUs is called motor unit action potential (MUAP) [2]. The biosignal recorded from a muscle or its fibers reflects the anatomical and physiological properties of the motor system. As such, EMG recording and analysis are powerful neuro‐ physiological techniques that can be employed to: a) identify the health status of the motor system; b) localize and typify peripheral and central abnormalities and lesions; c) determine the temporal course and the severity of motor system abnormalities, and d) determine and evaluate the effectiveness of treatment strategies.