F wave analysis based on the compound muscle action potential scan. Muscle Nerve 2024 Sep;70(3):395-401
Date
07/04/2024Pubmed ID
38963007Pubmed Central ID
PMC11324398DOI
10.1002/mus.28197Scopus ID
2-s2.0-85197521293 (requires institutional sign-in at Scopus site) 3 CitationsAbstract
INTRODUCTION/AIMS: Conventional F wave analysis involves a relatively uniform physiological environment induced by supramaximal stimulations. The F wave characteristics in a dynamic physiological condition, however, are rarely investigated. This study aimed to improve understanding of F wave properties in the more dynamic process by introducing a novel method to analyze F waves based on the compound muscle action potential (CMAP) scan technique.
METHODS: Twenty four healthy subjects participated in the study. The CMAP scan was applied to record muscle responses in the abductor pollicis brevis (APB) and abductor digiti minimi (ADM) muscles, respectively. F wave characteristics including mean F wave amplitude and latency (F-M latency), persistence and activating threshold were quantified.
RESULTS: An average of 200 F waves per muscle were obtained from the CMAP scan recording. Weak to moderate correlations between F wave amplitude and stimulating intensity were observed in most of the APB (19 muscles; r = 0.33 ± 0.14, all p < .05) and ADM (23 muscles, r = 0.46 ± 0.16, all p < .05) muscles. Significantly longer mean F latency and lower activating F-threshold were found in the ADM muscles (F-M latency: APB: 25.43 ± 2.39 ms, ADM: 26.15 ± 2.32 ms, p < .05; F-threshold: APB: 7.68 ± 8.96% CMAP, ADM: 2.35 ± 2.42% CMAP, p < .05).
DISCUSSION: This study introduces new features of F waves using the CMAP scan technique and identifies differences of F wave characteristics between the hand muscles. The CMAP scan based F waves analysis can be combined with the motor unit number estimation to assess functional alterations in motor neurons in neurological disorders.
Author List
Li X, Chen M, Barkhaus PE, Nandedkar SD, Schmit B, Zhou PAuthors
Paul E. Barkhaus MD Adjunct Professor in the Neurology department at Medical College of WisconsinBrian Schmit PhD Professor in the Biomedical Engineering department at Marquette University
MESH terms used to index this publication - Major topics in bold
Action PotentialsAdult
Electric Stimulation
Electromyography
Female
Humans
Male
Middle Aged
Muscle, Skeletal
Neural Conduction
Reaction Time
Young Adult
