Introduction: Historical Perspectives

Abstract

The field of pediatric neuromuscular disorders has continued to expand scientifically since the era of molecular neurogenetics began in the mid-1980s. The rapid changes in the field may be overwhelming to busy, practicing clinicians on a day-to-day basis. The dramatic advances in DNA diagnostics have added to the complexity of a challenging clinical field and have left physicians occasionally uncertain about the relative indications for traditional tests such as EMG and muscle biopsy. Clearly, all these diagnostic tests remain useful, and it is up to the modern clinician to make informed decisions, after the initial clinical evaluation, to facilitate an accurate biomolecular diagnosis as qui..