2016 Participants
Steven Brown
Myoclonus is a disabling movement disorder that is a common complaint in neurology patients and has a wide range of causes. It is characterised by brief bursts of muscle contraction, called jerks. It can be organic, where there is an identifiable biological defect, or functional if there is not. Making the correct diagnosis is important as it will impact on a patient’s treatment and outlook, and measuring the electrical activity of muscles (electromyography, [EMG]) can help distinguish between myoclonic disorders which appear superficially similar. Here we aim to develop more specific diagnostic criteria by establishing the normal range of electrophysiological measurements in healthy people. We asked 20 healthy volunteers, with no history of neurological diagnoses, to mimic jerks as briefly as possible for a range of muscles. We found significant differences between muscle groups, and produced a reference table for clinicians who might be faced with a complex clinical picture.
Funding source: INSPIRE
Supervisor: Dr Mark Baker