American Association of Neuromuscular & Electrodiagnostic Medicine (AANEM)

Dr. Kelly Gwathmey interviews Dr. Corey Bacher from the University of Toronto, Dr. Charles Kassardjian from the University of Toronto, both in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. We also have Dr. Ruple Laughlin from the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota, and Dr. Puspha Narayanswami from Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center in Boston, Massachusetts. They will all be discussing recommendations for monitoring and managing glucocorticoid related systemic complications from the recently published: “International Consensus Guidance for the Management of Glucocorticoid Related Complications in Neuromuscular Disease."

This AANEM podcast features Dr. Joome Suh, a neurologist and neuromuscular specialist at Brigham and Women's Hospital, interviewed by neuromuscular fellow Dr. Nadia Khalil. They discuss HMG-CoA reductase immune-mediated necrotizing myopathy (HMGCR IMNM), a rare autoimmune muscle disease often associated with statin use. The discussion covers clinical presentation, epidemiologic considerations, histopathologic findings, and treatment approaches, with special focus on Dr. Suh’s recent research published in Muscle and Nerve with co-author Dr. Anthony Amato. Their study found that patients receiving maintenance IVIG as part of their regimen were more likely to have a normal CK at 6 months and the daily prednisone-equivalent was lower. A sub-group analysis suggested IVIG as monotherapy is effective.

How did you fare on your March Madness brackets? Did you win your EMG lab pool? Did you pick any upsets? Tune in and you will be sure to win this Lessons from the Lab March Madness bracket. It’s full of surprises and successes, and you won’t be “upset".

In this podcast, host Carrie Ford, CNCT, R.NCS.T., interviews 4 nerve conduction technologists: Candy Dolan, CNCT, R.NCS.T, R.EEGT, Pati Ramsey, CNCT, R.NCS.T, Nicole Wiley, CNCT, and Nathaniel Dickey, CNCT.
They discuss how AANEM transformed their field by establishing the Certified Nerve Conduction Technologist (CNCT) credential in 2011. The technologists share insights about AANEM membership benefits, certification challenges, employer support and offer advice to newcomers on mentorship and continuous learning. All emphasize the importance of certification and community involvement in maintaining professional standards.

The podcast explores the AANEM Training Program Partnership (TPP), an educational resource designed for neurology and PM&R training programs. The discussion features current neuromuscular fellows, Sukhraj Gill & Praveen Attele, along with hosts Bhaskar Roy (an associate professor at Yale) and Carrie Ford (a technologist at University of Utah).

Enjoy this Valentine’s Day edition of Lessons From the Lab! Drs. Rubin and Levin work through a case with some twists and turns and a variety of teaching points – it’s just like not knowing what you are going to get when you open a box of Valentine’s Day chocolates!

Grab your hot chocolate and cozy up to your fireplace as you warm up with an educational discussion about a patient who lost his voice. Drs. Rubin and Munin will help teach you how to help patients find their voice (or at least find some muscles contributing to their voice with needle EMG) as they figure out the best way to approach this patient.

In this AANEM podcast, Dr. Stino interviews Dr. Allen on the groundbreaking ADHERE study, published in Lancet Neurology in 2024, which investigated efgartigimod for treating chronic inflammatory demyelinating polyneuropathy (CIDP). As the largest CIDP trial to date with 322 patients across 146 sites, it marked the first major study of a targeted biologic therapy in CIDP. The trial featured a unique two-stage design: An open-label response phase followed by a randomized controlled phase for responders. Dr. Allen explains the rationale behind targeting IgG in CIDP, despite its less clear antibody-mediated mechanism compared to myasthenia gravis. The study demonstrated a 66-70% response rate in the open-label phase, with significantly lower relapse rates compared to placebo in the randomized phase. This research represents a significant advancement in CIDP treatment options, offering a weekly subcutaneous administration that could reduce treatment burden compared to traditional therapies.

In this AANEM podcast, Dr. Andrés De León interviews neuromuscular pathology experts Dr. Aziz Shaibani and Dr. Marcus Pinto about the current state and value of muscle and nerve biopsies in clinical practice. The discussion covers essential topics including proper indications for biopsies, technical considerations in choosing biopsy sites, staining techniques, and the impact of advancing genetic testing on diagnostic approaches. Dr. Shaibani emphasizes that while genetic testing has reduced some muscle biopsy indications, biopsies remain crucial for certain conditions like inflammatory myopathies and mitochondrial disorders. Dr. Pinto details specific scenarios where nerve biopsies are invaluable, particularly in diagnosing vasculitic neuropathy and amyloidosis. Both experts share insights on the complementary role of muscle and nerve biopsies in conditions like systemic vasculitis and discuss how modern diagnostic tools like myositis antibody testing and genetic panels are changing but not eliminating the need for tissue diagnosis.

In this AANEM podcast, Carrie Ford, a CNCT and R.NCS.T. from the University of Utah's Jack Petajan EMG Lab, interviews Dr. Kyle Mahoney, an associate professor at the University of Utah, who provides a comprehensive explanation of neuromuscular junction transmission and the critical concept of the "safety factor." He breaks down complex neurophysiological concepts using accessible analogies, explaining how the safety factor serves as a built-in buffer that ensures reliable nerve-to-muscle signal transmission. The discussion covers normal neuromuscular junction function, the impact of various pathological conditions such as Lambert-Eaton Myasthenic Syndrome, myasthenia gravis, and ALS on neuromuscular transmission, and the clinical significance of repetitive nerve stimulation testing. Dr. Mahoney's clear explanations make these technically challenging concepts more approachable for healthcare professionals, particularly EMG technicians who may be less familiar with the underlying mechanisms of neuromuscular transmission.