ABEM (EDX) study plan

Diagram the brachial and lumbosacral plexuses from memory, labeling root-to-nerve contributions for the 12 most commonly tested upper- and lower-limb nerves.

Derive myotomes, dermatomes, and the deep tendon reflex arc for each limb root level, then self-quiz to at least 90% accuracy.

Explain membrane physiology - resting potential, sodium-potassium pump, threshold, and saltatory conduction - and map each concept onto the amplitude, latency, and conduction velocity changes seen in nerve conduction studies.

Classify the six major clinical neuromuscular categories (anterior horn cell, radiculopathy, plexopathy, peripheral neuropathy, neuromuscular junction, myopathy) and write the defining bedside features of each.

Distinguish ALS, multifocal motor neuropathy, and cervical myelopathy by writing the clinical and electrodiagnostic findings that separate each pair.

Outline the diagnostic pathway for suspected myasthenia gravis, naming which electrodiagnostic test is indicated at each step and why.

Describe the cardinal clinical and electrodiagnostic features of the major hereditary and acquired neuropathies: CMT, CIDP, Guillain-Barré, diabetic, and vasculitic.

Apply consensus criteria for entrapment neuropathies at the wrist, elbow, and fibular head to at least five written vignettes.

Set up and interpret basic sensory and motor nerve conduction studies - electrode placement, supramaximal stimulation, and amplitude/latency/velocity measurement.

Write out the standard protocol for 12 upper- and lower-limb nerves, specifying recording site, reference, stimulation sites, and expected normal values.

Perform and interpret late responses - F-waves and H-reflexes - including when each is indicated and how to distinguish them from A-waves.

Explain the technical basis of repetitive nerve stimulation, including how decrement is calculated and when repair factor or post-exercise facilitation matters.

Identify and correct the common nerve conduction artifacts: co-stimulation, volume conduction, 60-Hz interference, temperature effects, and stimulator polarization.

Interpret nerve conduction patterns to localize lesions by demyelinating versus axonal, focal versus generalized, sensory versus motor, and pre- versus postganglionic involvement.

Apply nerve conduction studies to five specific scenarios: carpal tunnel syndrome, ulnar neuropathy at the elbow, common fibular neuropathy, cervical radiculopathy, and distal symmetric polyneuropathy.

Describe the generation and clinical meaning of spontaneous needle EMG activity - fibrillation potentials, positive sharp waves, fasciculations, and myotonic discharges.

Explain motor unit anatomy and predict how MUAP duration, amplitude, and phases change with reinnervation, with myopathy, and with chronic partial denervation.

Set up a needle EMG study correctly - filter settings, sweep speed, gain, and a systematic muscle sampling plan for each limb.

Assess recruitment and interference patterns, grading them semiquantitatively as reduced, discrete, single-unit, or early full.

Detect and interpret unstable MUAPs, satellite potentials, and double discharges, and explain what each implies about the underlying process.

Build a diagnostic table linking needle EMG patterns to 15 specific disorders, including ALS, radiculopathy, myopathy, myotonic dystrophy, and neuromuscular junction disease.

Plan a muscle-selection strategy that separates radiculopathy from plexopathy and from mononeuropathy in the same limb.

Integrate clinical history with nerve conduction and needle EMG data to reach a single best diagnosis in complex cases.

Describe single-fiber EMG, including how jitter is measured, what it adds over repetitive nerve stimulation, and its limitations.

Interpret cranial nerve and bulbar EMG findings in ALS, myasthenia gravis, and brainstem disease.

Evaluate tremor, cramp-fasciculation syndrome, and other hyperexcitable disorders with appropriately chosen electrodiagnostic testing.

Recognize anatomic variants and pitfalls that cause misinterpretation: Martin-Gruber anastomosis, accessory nerve, anomalous innervation, and preganglionic lesions.

Explain amplifier design, low- and high-frequency filters, sweep speed, and gain, and select the correct settings for each study type.

Describe electrical safety requirements - grounding, stimulator isolation, and leakage current limits - that protect both patient and operator.

Specify quality-assurance procedures: equipment calibration, limb temperature control, electrode maintenance, and documentation standards.

Apply professional practice standards covering informed consent, billing and coding basics, report writing, and scope of practice.

Identify ergonomic and infection-control practices appropriate to the electrodiagnostic laboratory.

Complete two full-length timed mock examinations under exam conditions and score at least 75% on each.

Re-audit every missed item across all five domains and rank weak areas by error frequency rather than by topic order.

Re-teach the two weakest domains using condensed personal notes and a fresh 20-item self-quiz for each.

Rehearse exam-day workflow: target time per item, flagging and return strategy, and how to work through tracing and image stems efficiently.