Nerve conduction studies: essentials and pitfalls in practice

Abstract

NCS are only part of a complete peripheral neurophysiological examination (PNE) and are frequently accompanied by a needle electromyogram (EMG). The combination of both techniques and those detailed in other articles in this issue are often required for a complete diagnostic study. The process of choosing the appropriate tests is the responsibility of the clinical neurophysiologist (CN) and not the referring doctor and is planned as a dynamic series of steps designed to answer specific questions about nervous system function raised by the clinical picture.