| Procedures and Equipments |
| ENMG ( Electro Neuro Myography ) |
| The ENMG ( Electro Neuro Myography) examination is a diagnostic
examination of nerve and muscle function. Nerve conduction studies are
performed by placing discs on the skin over the nerves or muscles and
recording their responses to electrical stimulation of the nerves. The ENMG
examination is safe, well tolerated and involves only minor discomfort. It
usually takes about one and half hours. EMG study involves placing fine
needles into the affected muscles to record the electrical activity. Pain
induced would be similar to regular intramuscular injections. |
| EEG (Electroencephalogram) |
| EEG is the name commonly used for electroencephalography. Just like
the ECG records the electrical activity of the heart, EEG records the
electrical activity of the brain. It is safe and painless. Electrodes (
small. Metal, cup-shaped discs ) are pasted to your scalp and record the
electrical activity. No electric shocks are given during the test. This
usually takes about one hour to complete the study. |
| Evoked Potentials ( BAEP, VEP, SSEP ) |
| Evoked potentials are potentials recorded from scalp in response to a
brief auditory, visual or electrical stimulation to nerves to assess the
hearing (BAEP-branstem auditory evoked potential), visual (VEP-Visual evoked
potential) or sensory (SSEP-somatosensory evoked potential) pathways
respectively. This is a painless test for evaluating the functioniong of
various pathways. |
| PSG (Polysomnography) |
| A Polysomnogram (PSG) is a painless test designed to monitor and
evaluate sleep characteristics and physical stage during sleep. Subject will
spend the night in a private bedroom at the Sleep lab. Small electrodes or
sensors will be painlessly attached to different parts of body to monitor
brainwaves, heart function, breathing and muscle activity. The subject will
be videotaped to correlate body position and movement with physiological
data. Subects have to complete a proforma related to sleep details before
and after the study. |
| MSLT( Multiple Sleep latency test) |
| A MSLTor Multiple Sleep latency test is designed to evaluate the
degree of sleepiness in patients with sleep disorders. Small electrodes or
sensors will be painlessly attached to different parts of your body to
monitor brain waves, heart function and muscle activity. During the test
patients will be asked to nap at two hour intervals for 4 to 5 times in the
day. At the start of each period the technologist will check the sensors and
then instruct you to try to go to sleep. |
| Intra-operative Monitoring |
| Intra-operative electrophysiological monitoring is routinely performed
during scoliosis surgery. This monitoring helps the surgeon to signal if
there is any undue pressure or potential damage to the spinal cord in the
potentially reversible phase. Intra-operative somatosensory evoked
potential, motor evoked potential, brain stem audiotry evoked potential,
facial nerve stimulation and identification of central sulcus with sensoy
evoked potentials are some of the procedures routinely performed. |
| Autonomic nervous sytem (ANS) function tests |
| Tests such as sympathetic skin response to sensory and auditory
stimuli, RR interval variablity during posture changes, RR interval
variation during respiration and during valsalva manouver are routinely
performed for patients with dysfunction of autonomic nervous system. These
tests often provide useful information about the severity of involvement
with significant impact on treatment and prognosis. |
