Nerve Conduction Velocity (NCV) study, another part of an EMG, uses electrodes taped to the skin (surface electrodes) to measure the speed and strength of signals traveling between two or more points.

An NCV uses tiny devices called electrodes to transmit or detect electrical signals. During EMG, a needle electrode inserted directly into a muscle to record the electrical activity in that muscle. NCV results can reveal nerve dysfunction, muscle dysfunction or problems with nerve-to-muscle signal transmission.