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O78 Motor evoked potentials (MEPs) in early onset cerebellar ataxia with retained tendon reflexes
27s
Communications orales/Oral communications
077
078
MOTOR EVOKED POTENTIALS IN PATIENTS WITH ACUTE sPINAL CORD IN3URY Tegenthoff, M.; Riffel, B. ~ Neurologische Universitdtsklinik der Berufsgenossenschaftlichen Krenkenanstalten "8ergmannsheil" Bochum (Dir.: Prof. Dr. J.-P. Malin) * Neurologische Klinik mit kiln. Neurophysiologie Zentralklinikum Augsburg (Dir.: Prof. Dr. M. St6hr) Federal Republic of Germany
MOTOR EVOKED POTENTIALS (MEPs) IN EARLY ONSET CEREBELLAR ATAXIA WITH RETAINED TENDON REFLEXES.
There is little knowledge about the pathophysiology in the early stage of spinal cord injury. We studied 12 patients with acute spinal cord injury using non-invasive transcranial magnetic stimulation and somatosensory evoked potentials (SSEP). Surface recordings of the motor evoked potential (MEP) were made over the abductor pollicis brevis muscle and~or the tibial anterior muscle. The central motor conduction time was calculated by subtracting the peripheral latencies from the total latencies. Peripheral latencies were obtained by stimulation over the cervical end~or 'lumbal spinal cord or by using the F-wave technique. Abnormal morphology, amplitude reduction and complete loss of the MEP were the most frequent pathological findings, whereas prolonged lateneies occured less often. Abnormal MEP and SSEP results correlated with the severity of the clinical motor and sensory deficit, respectively. In non-cooperative patients, the method seems to be especially useful by obtaining additional diagnostic information on the extent of functional damage. The simultaneous recording of MEP and SSEP ist a valuable diagnostic tool in the early assessment of corticospinal and dorsal column tract function after spinal cord injury, but the prognostic value of either method is yet to be determined.
ELIE B ; LOUBOUTIN Laboratoire Neurologiaue
g.P.
; FEVE J,R.
: GUIHENEUC
d'Explorations Fonctionnelles - NANTES - FRANCE
P. ;
Clinique
Cerebellum Dlays an imDortant role in motor control. Harding first described in 1981 the clinical and genetic featu~es~f-~20 families in which affected individuals had a progressive cerebellar ataxia, developing within the first two decades, associated with dysarthria, pyramidal weakness of the limbs and retained or increased uDDer limb reflexes and knee jerks. This disorder is clinically distinct from Friedreich's ataxia and there are other important differences between the two disorders. In three ~atients with Early Onset Cerebellar Ataxia with retained tendon reflexes, MEPs were recorded from UDDer and lower limbs (in ADM and TA respectively Novametrix 200). Cortical latency (CL) and root latency (RL) were measured. Central motor conduction time (CMCT) was defined as the difference between CL and RL. In Early Onset Cerebellar Ataxia with retained tendon reflexes, MEPs were normal. Thus, it appears that MEPs could be of value in the classification of progressive ataxia.
Communications orales/Oral communications
077
078
MOTOR EVOKED POTENTIALS IN PATIENTS WITH ACUTE sPINAL CORD IN3URY Tegenthoff, M.; Riffel, B. ~ Neurologische Universitdtsklinik der Berufsgenossenschaftlichen Krenkenanstalten "8ergmannsheil" Bochum (Dir.: Prof. Dr. J.-P. Malin) * Neurologische Klinik mit kiln. Neurophysiologie Zentralklinikum Augsburg (Dir.: Prof. Dr. M. St6hr) Federal Republic of Germany
MOTOR EVOKED POTENTIALS (MEPs) IN EARLY ONSET CEREBELLAR ATAXIA WITH RETAINED TENDON REFLEXES.
There is little knowledge about the pathophysiology in the early stage of spinal cord injury. We studied 12 patients with acute spinal cord injury using non-invasive transcranial magnetic stimulation and somatosensory evoked potentials (SSEP). Surface recordings of the motor evoked potential (MEP) were made over the abductor pollicis brevis muscle and~or the tibial anterior muscle. The central motor conduction time was calculated by subtracting the peripheral latencies from the total latencies. Peripheral latencies were obtained by stimulation over the cervical end~or 'lumbal spinal cord or by using the F-wave technique. Abnormal morphology, amplitude reduction and complete loss of the MEP were the most frequent pathological findings, whereas prolonged lateneies occured less often. Abnormal MEP and SSEP results correlated with the severity of the clinical motor and sensory deficit, respectively. In non-cooperative patients, the method seems to be especially useful by obtaining additional diagnostic information on the extent of functional damage. The simultaneous recording of MEP and SSEP ist a valuable diagnostic tool in the early assessment of corticospinal and dorsal column tract function after spinal cord injury, but the prognostic value of either method is yet to be determined.
ELIE B ; LOUBOUTIN Laboratoire Neurologiaue
g.P.
; FEVE J,R.
: GUIHENEUC
d'Explorations Fonctionnelles - NANTES - FRANCE
P. ;
Clinique
Cerebellum Dlays an imDortant role in motor control. Harding first described in 1981 the clinical and genetic featu~es~f-~20 families in which affected individuals had a progressive cerebellar ataxia, developing within the first two decades, associated with dysarthria, pyramidal weakness of the limbs and retained or increased uDDer limb reflexes and knee jerks. This disorder is clinically distinct from Friedreich's ataxia and there are other important differences between the two disorders. In three ~atients with Early Onset Cerebellar Ataxia with retained tendon reflexes, MEPs were recorded from UDDer and lower limbs (in ADM and TA respectively Novametrix 200). Cortical latency (CL) and root latency (RL) were measured. Central motor conduction time (CMCT) was defined as the difference between CL and RL. In Early Onset Cerebellar Ataxia with retained tendon reflexes, MEPs were normal. Thus, it appears that MEPs could be of value in the classification of progressive ataxia.