MUNIX: Reproducibility and clinical correlations in Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis

Global motor unit number index sum score for assessing the loss of lower motor neurons in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis

“…In this study, the MUNIX and MUSIX values for the TA, APB, and ADM muscles in healthy participants were the same as those that have been reported in previous studies, confirming the external validity of our results. The CMAP and MUNIX values for TA, APB, and ADM in ALS patients are also the same as those reported in previous studies, showing the reproducibility of this technique in ALS patients . In the global MUNIX sum score studied here, there is an overrepresentation of the upper limb.…”

“…This index is calculated from compound muscle action potential (CMAP) and surface electromyographic interference patterns (SIP) obtained with gradual muscular contraction by using a mathematical model and statistical methods. MUNIX is reproducible, noninvasive, and easy to perform …”

Improving the reproducibility of motor unit number index

“…ALS patients had higher ICC than controls not due to lower individual variability. On the contrary, CV values were higher in this group of patients, as demonstrated by our data and previous studies . As pointed out in earlier work, whenever interindividual variability increases in relation to intraindividual, the ICC shows better results .…”

“…However, individual variability, measured by the CV, was higher in the ALS group . We also found, in a previous study, that a group of ALS patients had better ICC but higher CV than controls …”

Motor unit number index and neurophysiological index as candidate biomarkers of presymptomatic motor neuron loss in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis

“…The technique has high reproducibility and is time efficient, enabling the evaluation of multiple muscles at a single visit . These characteristics make MUNIX an attractive tool to track motor neuron loss and a promising candidate biomarker of disease progression in ALS …”