Turns-amplitude Analysis (TAA) of Electromyographic Recruitment Pattern in Dogs

URNS-AMPLITUDE ANALYSIS (TAA) OF ELECTROMYOGRAPHIC RECRUITMENT PATTERN IN DOGS

Introduction
In human medicine, qualitative evaluation of voluntary recruitment of motor units during EMG tests contributes to the discrimination between myopathies and neuropathies. Patient’s collaboration is required and consequently, this powerful part of the EMG examination is unavailable in animal studies. However, quantitative methods for evaluation of motor unit potentials (MUP) recruitment have been developed for infant evaluation 1. One of these methods is the Turns-Amplitude Analysis (TAA). This test performed with concentric EMG needle, records the number of changes of polarity (turns) and the mean amplitude of potentials during a given unit of time (epoch) 2-5. The aim of this study was to define a normal electromyographic recruitment pattern in unsedated dogs using the TAA without force monitoring. Furthermore, TAA in normal dogs was compared with those recorded in diseased dogs, one with a neurogenic and one with a myogenic disorder. […]