53rd Annual Course in Electrodiagnostic Medicine: Clinical and Electrical Evaluation of the Peripheral Nervous System

53rd Annual Course in Electrodiagnostic Medicine: Clinical and Electrical Evaluation of the Peripheral Nervous System is organized by Thomas Jefferson University (TJU) Office of Continuing Professional Development (OCPD) and will be held from Feb 05 - 06, 2026.

Overview:
The Annual Course in Electrodiagnostic Medicine is designed for clinicians involved in the diagnosis, treatment and prognosis of patients with peripheral nervous system diseases and injuries.

This course mixes didactic lectures, case presentations and audience response to introduce and reinforce new information and best clinical practices.

Learn and improve skills in:

• Basic concepts including membrane conduction physiology
• Firing pattern identification of voluntary and spontaneous wave forms as well as recruitment pattern analysis;
• Indications and contradictions for the use of botulinum toxin for treating spasticity and focal dystonias of the head and limbs;
• Differentiating axonal from demyelinating pathology as well as localization of site of nerve pathology based on electrical findings;
• Identifying anterior horn cell, radiculopathies, neuromuscular junction diseases and myopathies;
• Role of electrodiagnostics in guiding diagnosis and prognosis in a variety of peripheral nerve and neuromuscular conditions.

Objectives:
At the conclusion of this activity, healthcare team members will be able to:

1. Identify normal muscle membrane physiology, physiology of normal, neuropathic and myopathic voluntary motor unit potentials as well as firing patterns between muscle fiber and motor unit potentials.
2. Differentiate normal from abnormal recruitment frequency and ratio.
3. Identify common pathological needle electromyography waveforms.
4. Identify technical and physiologic factors that affect latency, conduction velocity, temporal dispersion, and amplitude including phase cancellation.
5. Recognize how late responses contribute to differentiating between axonopathies and myelinopathies at a proximal level, and how they contribute to diagnosis.
6. Describe neurapraxia, axonotmesis and intraneural neurotmesis based on the type, site and duration of nerve injury, and the classification of nerve injuries as a dynamic process.
7. Explain the components of electrodiagnostic equipment and the fundamentals of signal processing as it applies to electrodiagnostics.
8. Explain the basics of using electrodiagnostic and clinical information to prognosticate recovery from neural injury.
9. Categorize ulnar, peroneal and tibial nerve lesions based on the type, site and duration of injury.
10. Recognize importance of both the clinical and electrodiagnostic components in the evaluation of radiculopathies.
11. Describe how electrodiagnostic testing can be utilized to achieve optimal clinical outcomes and prevent unwanted complications.
12. Identify the indications and contraindications for the use of botulinum toxin.
13. Review the evidence for selecting appropriate localization modes and clinical scenarios that require multiple guidance techniques for chemodenervation.
14. Describe the clinical and histopathophysiology of neuromuscular junction disease.
15. Identify a clinical and electrical approach to myopathies and the major differentiating factors between the major types.
16. Describe the major clinical and electrodiagnostic features of ALS and other motor neuron diseases.
17. Identify the major clinical and electrodiagnostic mimics of motor neuron disease.
18. Identify the major benefits and limitations of neuromuscular ultrasound as part of the electrodiagnostic evaluation.
19. Identify common electrodiagnostic features and etiologies of peripheral polyneuropathy.
20. Identify key applicable updates from the recent electrodiagnostic literature.