Motor unit number index (MUNIX) : principle, method, and findings in healthy subjects and in patients with motor neuron disease

• The motor unit number index (MUNIX) is a method for assessment of number and size (MUSIX) of motor units (MUs) using the compound muscle action potential (CMAP) and surface electromyographic interference pattern (SIP). This method was used to study the hypothenar muscle in 34 healthy subjects to define normal range, and to study reproducibility. Four healthy subjects and 13 patients with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) were studied serially over a 1-year period. In healthy subjects, MUNIX showed good reproducibility. In serial studies, healthy subjects showed no change in the CMAP amplitude and MUNIX. ALS patients with minimal change in CMAP amplitude had a significant drop in MUNIX and increase in MUSIX, indicating MU loss compensated by reinnervation. When the CMAP changed significantly (>30%) in 1 year, the CMAP and MUNIX decreased in parallel. MUNIX would be useful to study MU loss in degenerative diseases of motor neurons.

Subject headings

MEDICIN OCH HÄLSOVETENSKAP  -- Medicinska och farmaceutiska grundvetenskaper -- Fysiologi (hsv//swe)

MEDICAL AND HEALTH SCIENCES  -- Basic Medicine -- Physiology (hsv//eng)

Keyword

motor neuron disease

motor unit

motor unit number estimation (MUNE)

serial studies

surface EMG

Clinical neurophysiology

Klinisk neurofysiologi

Publication and Content Type

ref (subject category)

art (subject category)