EMG ASSISTANT: A method for the automated localization of root / plexus and/or other focal nerve damage in the upper and the lower extremities using either the routine clinical-neurological or the electromyographic muscle examination
A novel computerized method for automatic diagnosis of clinical-neurological and/or electromyographic (needle EMG) studies is presented. The clinician—neurologist, physiatrist, physical therapist or qualified other—performs a routine clinical and/or electromyographic examination of the patients muscles and assigns graded levels of abnormality to each one of the muscles examined. This data, usually numbers in the range of 0 to 3, is input into the program. Based on the muscles examined and their abnormality levels the program finds the minimal location(s) of nerve-damage that explains the muscle findings, i.e. a diagnosis. Several approaches and techniques that were developed and utilized in the program are described below. Also, the program will compute and suggest to the clinician the additional name(s) of the next-best-muscle(s) to study in case he/she wants to improve the study results.
