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Present Uses, Future Applications, and Technical Underpinnings of Electrical Impedance Myography

Current Neurology and Neuroscience Reports volume 17, Article number: 86 (2017) Cite this article

Abstract

Purpose of Review

In this article, we provide an overview of electrical impedance myography (EIM), including its technical and theoretical basis, a summary of its varied applications, and ongoing developments.

Recent Findings

EIM has been used as a disease severity biomarker in a variety of disorders affecting the muscle, ranging from amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) to muscular dystrophies to disuse atrophy due to the weightlessness of space. In ALS, studies have demonstrated that major reductions in sample size in clinical trials can be achieved. Similarly, in the Duchenne muscular dystrophy, the technique tracks disease progression and is sensitive to the beneficial effect of steroids. More basic work has demonstrated that EIM can provide a non-invasive means of tracking muscle fiber size. Ongoing innovations include the development of techniques for assessing muscle contraction.

Summary

EIM is gradually being adopted as a useful, practical, and convenient tool for the assessment of neuromuscular conditions.

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Funding

This work was supported by the National Institutes of Health R01 NS055099 and K24NS060951.

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Affiliations

  1. Department of Neurology, Division of Neuromuscular Diseases, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Harvard Medical School, 330 Brookline Avenue, TCC-810, Boston, MA, 02215, USA

    Benjamin Sanchez & Seward B. Rutkove

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  1. Benjamin Sanchez
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  2. Seward B. Rutkove
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Correspondence to Seward B. Rutkove.

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Conflict of Interest

Benjamin Sanchez has received personal fees from ImpediMed, Inc., and Maxim Integrated, Inc. In addition, Dr. Sanchez has a patent 2015123603 A1 licensed to Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center.

Seward B. Rutkove has equity in and serves a consultant and scientific advisor to Skulpt/Myolex, Inc., a company that designs impedance devices for clinical and research uses; he is also a member of the company’s board of directors. The company also has an option to license patented impedance technology of which Dr. Rutkove is named as an inventor. In addition, Dr. Rutkove has a patent US Patent #9,014,797, electrical impedance myography licensed to Skulpt, Inc.; a patent US Patent #8,892,198, devices and methods for evaluating tissue licensed to Skulpt, Inc.; a patent US patent application: a hand-held device for electrical impedance myography pending; and a patent PCT/US2015/015961, electrical impedance myography pending.

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This article does not contain any studies with human or animal subjects performed by any of the authors.

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This article is part of the Topical Collection on Nerve and Muscle

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Sanchez, B., Rutkove, S.B. Present Uses, Future Applications, and Technical Underpinnings of Electrical Impedance Myography. Curr Neurol Neurosci Rep 17, 86 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11910-017-0793-3

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11910-017-0793-3

Keywords

  • Electrical impedance
  • Muscle
  • Myopathy
  • Neurogenic disease
  • Disuse
  • Injury