DOI: 10.1002/mus.

26868

AANEM-IFCN JOINT PUBLICATION

See editorial on page 1 in this issue.

AANEM - IFCN Glossary of Terms in Neuromuscular

Electrodiagnostic Medicine and Ultrasound

Reinhard Dengler MD1,3 | Mamede de Carvalho MD, PhD1,3 |

Nortina Shahrizaila MD, PhD1,3 | Hiroyuki Nodera MD1,3 | Steve Vucic MD, PhD1,3 |
Alexander Grimm MD1,4 | Luca Padua MD1,4 | Stefanie Schreiber MD1,4 |
Mary K. Kneiser MD2,3,4 | Lisa D. Hobson-Webb MD2,4 | Andrea J. Boon MD2,3,4 |
Benn E. Smith MD2,3 | William J. Litchy MD2,3 | Yuebing Li MD, PhD2,3 |
Michael Lenihan MD2,3 | V. Brandon Thompson MD2,3 | Erik Stalberg MD1,2,3 |
Donald B. Sanders MD2,3 | John C Kincaid MD2,3

1
author for the IFCN
2
author for the AANEM
Abstract
3
author for electrodiagnostic medicine Modern neuromuscular electrodiagnosis (EDX) and neuromuscular ultrasound
4
author for neuromuscular ultrasound (NMUS) require a universal language for effective communication in clinical practice
and research and, in particular, for teaching young colleagues. Therefore, the AANEM
Correspondences:
Reinhard Dengler MD, Department of and the IFCN have decided to publish a joint glossary as they feel the need for an
Neurology, Hannover Medical School, Carl-
updated terminology to support educational activities in neuromuscular EDX and
Neuberg-Str. 1, 30625 Hannover, Germany.
Email: dengler.reinhard@mh-hannover.de NMUS in all parts of the world. In addition NMUS has been rapidly progressing over
and
the last years and is now widely used in the diagnosis of disorders of nerve and mus-
Mary K. Kneiser MD, Ability Assessments, cle in conjunction with EDX. This glossary has been developed by experts in the field
P.C. 24108 Greater Mack Avenue, Saint Clair
of neuromuscular EDX and NMUS on behalf of the AANEM and the IFCN and has
Shores, MI, 48080 USA.
Email: marykneiser@gmail.com been agreed upon by electronic communication between January and November
2019. It is based on the glossaries of the AANEM from 2015 and of the IFCN from
1999. The EDX and NMUS terms and the explanatory illustrations have been
updated and supplemented where necessary. The result is a comprehensive glossary
of terms covering all fields of neuromuscular EDX and NMUS. It serves as a standard
reference for clinical practice, education and research worldwide.

Highlights
1 Optimal terminology in neuromuscular electrodiagnosis and ultrasound has been
revisited.
2 A team of international experts have revised and expanded a standardized glossary.
3 This list of terms serves as standard reference for clinical practice, education
and research.

KEYWORDS

electrodiagnostic medicine, electromyography, electroneurography, neuromuscular medicine,

neuromuscular ultrasound

10 © 2020 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. wileyonlinelibrary.com/journal/mus Muscle Nerve. 2020;62:10–12.

DENGLER ET AL. 11

CO- AUTHOR S Lisa Hobson-Webb MD.

Duke University School of Medicine,
Mamede de Carvalho MD. Dept of Neurology,
Institute of Physiology Unit, Neuromuscular Division,
Instituto de Medicina Molecular, Durham, NC 27710, USA.
Faculty of Medicine, email: lisa.hobsonwebb@duke.edu
University of Lisbon, Portugal.
email: mamedemg@mail.telepac.pt Andrea Boon MD.
Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation,
Mayo Clinic,
Nortina Shahrizaila MD. 200 SW 1st Street.
Neurology Unit, Department of Medicine, Rochester, MN, 55905, USA.
Faculty of Medicine, email: boon.andrea@mayo.edu
University of Malaya,
50603 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Benn E. Smith MD.
email: nortina@um.edu.my Department of Neurology.
Mayo Clinic.
Alix College of Medicine.
Hiroyuki Nodera MD. 13400 East Shea Boulevard.
Department of Neurology, Scottsdale, AZ, 85259, USA.
Kanazawa Medical University. email: bsmith@mayo.edu
Daigaku, Uchinada,
Ishikawa, 920–0293 Japan. William J. Litchy MD.
email: hnodera1@yahoo.co.jp Department of Neurology.
Mayo Clinic.
200 SW 1st Street.
Steve Vucic PhD, DSc, FRACP. Rochester, MN, 55905, USA.
Department of Neurology, email: litchy.william@mayo.edu
Westmead Hospital,
Cnr Hawkesbury and Darcy Roads, Yuebing Li MD, PhD.
Westmead, NSW 2145, Australia. Neuromuscular Center.
email: steve.vucic@sydney.edu.au Department of Neurology.
Cleveland Clinic.
Alexander Grimm MD. 9500 Euclid Avenue.
Department of Neurology, Cleveland, OH, 44195, USA.
University Hospital Tübingen, email: yuebingli2003@yahoo.com
Crona Kliniken.
Hoppe-Seyler-Str. 3. Michael Lenihan MD.
72076 Tübingen, Germany. Adirondack Neurology.
email: alexander.grimm@med.uni-tuebingen.de 420 Glen Street.
Glens Falls, NY, 12801, USA.
email: mlenihan@adirondackneurology.com
Luca Padua MD.
Fondazione Policlinico Universitario A. Gemelli IRCCS, V. Brandon Thompson MD.
Catholic University of Sacred Heart, Gahanna/Reynoldsburg.
Rome, Italy. 170 Taylor Station Road.
email: luca.padua@policlinicogemelli.it Columbus, OH, 43212, USA.
email: vbthompson@orthopedicone.com
Stefanie Schreiber MD.
Department of Neurology, Erik Stalberg MD.
Otto-von-Guericke University, Dept Clin Neurophysiology.
Leipziger Straße 44, Inst Neurosciences,
39120 Magdeburg, Germany. Uppsala University, Sweden.
email: stefanie.schreiber@med.ovgu.de email: stalberg.erik@gmail.com
12 DENGLER ET AL.

Donald B. Sanders MD. is steadily rising which makes an update of the terminology in this
Duke University. field highly desirable.
Medical Center. The glossary includes a selection of illustrations exemplifying
Department of Neurology. some of the terms. Most of these illustrations have been taken from
1255 Hosp South, the last AANEM glossary (AANEM 2015), a small number has been
Durham, NC, 27710, USA. added or replaced.
email: donald.sanders@duke.edu The goal of providing educational outreach will be enhanced by
adding the glossary to the AANEM (www.aanem.org) and IFCN
John C Kincaid MD. (http://www.ifcn.info/) website.
Department of Neurology,
Indiana University,
362 W 15th St, Suite 3200. Appendix: Online Content
Indianapolis, IN, 46202, USA.
email: jkincaid@iupui.edu SECTION I: Alphabetic list of terms with definitions.
SECTION II: Illustrations of electrodiagnostic waveforms.
Address of the AANEM: SECTION III: Illustrations of ultrasound images.
SECTION IV: Abbreviations of units of measurements and of frequently
AANEM. used terms.
2621 Superior Drive NW. SECTION V: References.
Rochester, MN 55901, USA.
email: aanem@aanem.org DECLARATION OF INTERESTS
The authors declare that they have no known competing financial
Address of the IFCN: interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influ-
ence the work reported in this paper.
IFCN Secretariat.
c/o AIM (Association Innovation and Management).
11190 Sunrise Valley Drive, Suite 300. RE FE RE NCE S
Reston, VA 20191, USA. AANEM. AANEM glossary of terms in neuromuscular & elec-
email: info@ifcn.info trodiagnostic medicine. Muscle Nerve 2015; 52(S3): 145-203.
Caruso G, Eisen A, Stålberg E, Kimura J, Mamoli B, Dengler R,
FOREWORD Santoro L, Hopf HC. Clinical EMG and glossary of terms most
This glossary is a joint effort of experts in the field of neuromuscular commonly used by clinical electromyographers. The International
electrodiagnosis (EDX) and neuromuscular ultrasound (NMUS) on Federation of Clinical Neurophysiology. Electroencephalogr Clin
behalf of the AANEM and the IFCN. It is based on the updated Neurophysiol Suppl. 1999;52:189-198.
AANEM glossary published in 2015 which already included NMUS Kremkau FW. Diagnostic Ultrasound: Principles and Instruments.
(AANEM, 2015), on the IFCN “glossary of terms most commonly used W.B. Saunders, Philadelphia, 2002.
by clinical electromyographers” published in 1999 (Caruso et al., van Holsbeeck M, Introcaso J. Musculoskeletal Ultrasound. 3rd
1999) and on frequently used review articles in the field of NMUS edition. Jaypee Medical Publishers, London, 2016.
(Kremkau, 2002; van Holsbeeck and Introcaso, 2016; Walker Walker FO, Cartwright MS, Alter KE, Visser LH, Hobson-Webb LD,
et al., 2018). Padua L, Strakowski JA, Preston DC, Boon AJ, Axer H, van
Modern neuromuscular EDX and NMUS require a universal Alfen N, Tawfik EA, Wilder-Smith E, Yoon JS, Kim BJ, Breiner A,
language for effective communication in clinical practice and Bland JDP, Grimm A, Zaidman CM. Indications for neuromuscular
research and, in particular, for teaching young colleagues in all ultrasound: Expert opinion and review of the literature. Clin
parts of the world. Therefore, the IFCN and the AANEM have Neurophysiol. 2018;129:2658-2679.
decided to publish a joint glossary as they feel the need for an
updated terminology when supporting educational activities in
neuromuscular EDX and NMUS worldwide and, in particular, in How to cite this article: Dengler R, de Carvalho M, Shahrizaila N,
countries where these methods are not yet well developed. In et al. AANEM - IFCN Glossary of Terms in Neuromuscular
addition NMUS has been rapidly progressing over the last years Electrodiagnostic Medicine and Ultrasound. Muscle Nerve. 2020;
and is now widely used in the diagnosis of disorders of nerve and 62:10–12. https://doi.org/10.1002/mus.26868
muscle in conjunction with EDX. The number of articles on NMUS