Pediatric nerve conduction studies and EMG

A variety of neuromuscular conditions affect children, ranging from severe, usually fatal disorders, such as spinal muscular atrophy type I (Werdnig-Hoffman syndrome) to relatively mild problems, such as benign congenital hypotonia. The evaluation of children in the EMG laboratory requires special care because of the discomfort of the tests. Moreover, other considerations, such as slower baseline nerve conduction velocities and conditions that generally do not present in adulthood, such as congenital myasthenic syndromes, can make the pediatric neurophysiological examination especially challenging. This chapter reviews both the common pediatric neuromuscular conditions and their assessment in the EMG laboratory.