Citations 12

Clinical Reasoning: A 46-year-old man with persistent hiccups, cognitive dysfunction, and imbalance

Neurology | October 16, 2017 | Volume: 89 | Issue: 16 | Pages: No page available

10.1212/wnl.0000000000004523 | PMID 29038139

Characteristics and significance of doublets on needle EMG

Muscle & Nerve | December 2, 2016 | Volume: 55 | Issue: 4 | Pages: 598-600

10.1002/mus.25457 | PMID 27808419

ABSTRACTIntroductionVoluntary doublets are electrophysiological phenomena thought to be associated with metabolic derangements or neuromuscular conditions.MethodsWe prospectively studied 232 consecutive patients examined by a single examiner during routine electromyography (EMG) to determine the frequency of doublets in individual patients, specific muscles, neuromuscular conditions, electrolyte levels, and doublet characteristics.ResultsOf 232 patients, 25 (10.7%) exhibited doublets. The mean age was 59 (52% men). Only 32 of 1,303 (2.5%) muscles exhibited doublets. Lower extremity and paraspinal groups represented 91% of muscles with doublets. Doublet frequency grouped by EMG diagnoses was: ALS (3 of 11; 27.1%), myopathy (3 of 10; 30.0%), axonal polyneuropathy (7 of 29; 24.1%), and no disease (7 of 109; 6.4%). There were no differences in serum electrolytes between doublet and matched subjects.ConclusionsDoublets occur in approximately 10% of patients, more commonly in lower extremity and paraspinal muscles, and are not correlated with a specific metabolic abnormality or neuromuscular condition. Muscle Nerve 55: 598–600, 2017