Evaluation of the EMG spontaneous activity in tetany: further development of a method of automatic analysis

Because of the unspecificity of its signs and symptoms, which may be quite various and vague, tetany represents a [human] clinical syndrome rather difficult to define. Hypocalcemia and alkalosis are its principal causes, also another syndrome, characterized by severe tetany but with normal plasma level of electrolytes, was described. In this case tetany is generally attributed to a decreased tissue Ca-pool or to the reduction of the intracellular Mg. Besides these factors also the K plays an important role in the clinical symptoms of the hypocalcemic tetany. Since there are many unspecific tetanic equivalents and a large variety of etiopathogenetic mechanisms and, moreover, it is difficult to quantize exactly the increased neuromuscular excitability, a special attention was paid to the EMG [electromyograph] spontaneous activity during the ischemic test. A method was proposed of automatic analysis of the EMG spontaneous activity due to neuromuscular hyperexcitability in tetanic syndrome. Aim of the present work is to improve the method, and to develop a technique for discriminating among different classes of subjects affected by tetany, i.e., with different symptoms and values of the humoral parameters.