Motor unit number estimation of facial muscles using the M Scan‐Fit method. Issue 4 (2nd August 2020)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Habeych, Miguel E.; Trinh, Terry; Issar, Tushar; Kwai, Natalie C.G.; Krishnan, Arun V.
• Is Part Of: Muscle & nerve. Volume 62:Issue 4(2020)
• Page Start: 555
• Page End: 558
• Publication Date: 2020-08-02
• Subjects: facial muscles -- motor unit number estimation -- motor units -- M Scan -- MUNE; Neuromuscular diseases -- Periodicals; Muscles -- Periodicals; Nerves -- Periodicals; 616.74
• DOI: 10.1002/mus.27010
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0148-639X

Abstract

Abstract: Introduction: M Scan‐Fit, an automated method for motor unit number estimation (MUNE), was assessed in muscles innervated by the facial nerve. Methods: Healthy volunteers were recruited. M Scans were recorded twice from nasalis and depressor anguli oris (DAO) muscles, and then fitted to a probabilistic model. Results: Twenty‐one subjects were evaluated; 38% were females and 62% were males, with a mean age of 34.71 years. The average number of MUs was 38.57 on both testing occasions ( t ≤ 0.0001; P = 1.0) for the nasalis. For the DAO, results were 20.62 MUs for the first and 23.48 for the second ( t = −2.12; P = .04). Pearson's interrater correlation coefficients were 0.96 ( P < .0001) for nasalis and 0.87 ( P ≤ .01) for DAO. Intraclass correlation coefficients were 0.88 ( P ≤ .01) for nasalis and 0.39 ( P = .37) for DAO. Discussion: M Scan‐Fit MUNE is an automated, accurate, reliable method of estimating MU number and size from facial muscles.