The Neuromuscular Diagnostic Center at the Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) provides integrated, comprehensive care for patients suffering from nerve and muscle disorders in a single location. A full range of laboratory services are available including electromyography (EMG), autonomic testing, nerve, skin and muscle biopsies, special antibody studies, and for some neuromuscular disorders, genetic screening.
Diagnostic Laboratory Services
- Nerve Conduction Studies and EMG: diagnosis of most peripheral nerve and muscle disorders
- Repetitive Nerve Stimulation and Single Fiber EMG: diagnosis of myasthenia gravis and other neuromuscular junction disorders
- Ischemic Forearm Exercise Testing: screening for metabolic myopathies
- Quantitative Sensory Testing: thermal and vibratory testing for patients with sensory loss
- Quantitative Motor Testing: strength testing to follow patients with weakness
- Tremor Testing: analysis and diagnosis of tremor and other movement disorders
- Neurodiagnostic skin biopsy for diagnosing small-fiber sensory neuropathies.
- Autonomic testing including tilt table for diagnosis of syncope/presyncope and small fiber neuropathy.
- Genetic screening for Leukodystrophy
For more information about treatments, go to the Outpatient Infusion Suite or Botulinum Toxin Service pages.
EMG Laboratory
The Electromyography (EMG) Laboratory is a state-of-art facility specializing in diagnosis of muscle and nerve disorders. The EMG lab is staffed by board certified Electromyographers, physicians specializing in the diagnosis and testing of diseases of the peripheral nervous system. This laboratory is a tertiary referral lab for many of the neurologists, neurosurgeons, internists and orthopedists in New England.
Patients may be referred for evaluation of the following conditions:
- Mononeuropathies (e.g. carpal tunnel syndrome, ulnar neuropathy)
- Motor neuron disease / ALS
- Myopathies
- Nerve Injury
- Neuromuscular junction disorders (e.g. myasthenia gravis)
- Neuropathies
- Plexopathies
- Radiculopathies
Botulinum Toxin Service
The EMG laboratory offers botulinum toxin treatments for spasticity resulting from stroke, head injury, spinal cord injury or multiple sclerosis and dystonias. In many cases, dystonias can be treated with botulinum toxin, which can be injected into specific muscles, guided by an EMG needle, where it acts to reduce the involuntary contractions.
Infusion Suite
The Neuromuscular Diagnostic Center Infusion Suite is an ambulatory outpatient unit that provides infusion services to Neurology patients at MassGeneral Hospital. Our staff members are experienced registered nurses, highly trained in infusion and IV therapies, and sensitized to the unique challenges of their patients.
Conditions treated include chronic inflammatory demyelinating polyneuropathy (CIDP), multifocal motor neuropathy (MMN) and certain multiple sclerosis conditions. Therapies available at the suite include:
- Infusion therapy services (IVIg)
- First dose injections
- Continuous injection therapy
Facilities
In this comfortably small unit, semi-private treatment areas give patients the choice of having their privacy or taking advantage of opportunities to connect socially with others receiving treatment. Each individual treatment area has a comfortable chair (with upright or recliner settings), a table, and an LCD television. Some patients find the environment suitable enough to use the time as part of a relatively normal work day. Patients that want extra privacy can ask to reserve the one separate room within the suite.
Throughout the treatment period the staff provides individualized care to make each visit as comfortable as possible. Warm blankets and other amenities are available.
IVIg
Intravenous immune globulin (IVIg) is a protein or “antibody” found in human blood. This collection of antibodies taken from healthy donors is pooled and purified. Antibodies are an important part of the body’s defense against disease.
First dose injections
Patients receiving injections for the first time are closely monitored for possible side effects. The staff also provides education and instruction to patients so they can do the injections at home.
Continuous injection therapy
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