an-implantable-system-for-chronic-in-vivo-electromyography

An Implantable System For Chronic In Vivo Electromyography

Electromyography (EMG) measures the muscle response to electrical stimulation or spontaneous activity of motor units and plays an important role in ...

Vanderbilt University Medical Center

Electromyography (EMG) plays an important role in exploring the mechanisms of selective reinnervation. An implantable system can help provide chronological information regarding reinnervation of laryngeal muscles. This study was designed to develop an implantable system for repeated recordings of spontaneous and evoked EMG from laryngeal muscles.

An implantable system for In Vivo chronic electromyographic study in the larynx.

Vocal fold paralysis (VFP) refers to neurological causes of reduced or absent movement of one or both vocal folds. Bilateral VFP (BVFP) is characterized by inspiratory dyspnea due to narrowing of the airway at the glottic level with both vocal folds assuming a paramedian position. The primary objective of intervention for BVFP is to relieve patients' dyspnea. Common clinical options for management include tracheostomy, arytenoidectomy and cordotomy. Other options that have been used with varying success include reinnervation techniques and botulinum toxin (Botox) injections into the vocal fold adductors. More recently, research has focused on neuromodulation, laryngeal pacing, gene therapy, and stem cell therapy. These newer approaches have the potential advantage of avoiding damage to the voicing mechanism of the larynx with an added goal of restoring some physiologic movement of the affected vocal folds. However, clinical data are scarce for these new treatment options (i.e., reinnervation and pacing), so more investigative work is needed. These areas of research are expected to provide dramatic improvements in the treatment of BVFP.

David Zealear

Department of Otolaryngology

Vanderbilt University Medical Center

An Implantable System For Chronic In Vivo Electromyography

David Zealear

.css-o250i3{font-size:18px;font-family:Open Sans,sans-serif;line-height:21.6px;}Department of Otolaryngology

Vanderbilt University Medical Center

An Implantable System For Chronic In Vivo Electromyography

Department of Otolaryngology