Neurophysiology

Clinical Neurophysiology is the branch of neurology that studies the functional aspects of the central nervous system (brain and spinal cord) and peripheral nervous system (nerves and muscles) through the recording and analysis of their bioelectrical signals. These non-invasive instrumental examinations are fundamental for diagnosing, monitoring, and characterizing a wide range of neurological and muscular pathologies, providing complementary information to clinical examinations and neuroimaging studies (CT, MRI). Several types of neurophysiological examinations are performed: Electroencephalogram (EEG), standard, sleep-deprived or prolonged, records the spontaneous electrical activity of the brain and is essential in the study of epilepsy, consciousness disorders, encephalopathies, and sleep disorders; Electromyography (EMG) and Electroneurography (ENG) assess the health and functionality of muscles and peripheral nerves (useful for neuropathies, radiculopathies, myopathies); and Evoked Potentials (Auditory – BAEP, Visual – VEP, Somatosensory – SEP, and Motor – MEP) study the integrity of sensory and motor nerve pathways.