Reproducibility of motor unit number index and MScanFit motor unit number estimation across intrinsic hand muscles.

Abstract

We sought to evaluate the reproducibility of the motor unit number index (MUNIX) and MScanFit motor unit number estimation (MScan) when recording was performed over intrinsic hand muscles. The compound muscle action potential (CMAP) amplitude, MUNIX, and MScan were measured from the abductor pollicis brevis (APB), first dorsal interosseous (FDI), and abductor digit minimi (ADM) muscles from 15 healthy volunteers on three different occasions. The reproducibility of CMAP amplitudes was excellent, with intraclass correlation coefficients (ICC) of 0.86 (APB), 0.90 (FDI), and 0.96 (ADM). Motor unit number index (ICCAPB 0.73, ICCFDI 0.85, ICCADM 0.85) and MScan (ICCAPB 0.86, ICCFDI 0.83, ICCADM 0.81) were highly reproducible across the three muscles. There were no significant correlations between MUNIX and MScan coefficients of variation (CV) and CMAP amplitude CVs. Reproducibility of MUNIX and MScan was not significantly different across the intrinsic hand muscles and was independent of CMAP amplitude variability.