6533b872fe1ef96bd12d3b32

RESEARCH PRODUCT

Effects of cerebellar TMS on motor cortex of patient with focal dystonia: a preliminary report

Giuseppe GigliaM. RomanoFilippo BrighinaFrancesca GigliaValentina SaiaAngela Rita PumaBrigida Fierro

subject

AdultMalemedicine.medical_specialtyCerebellumNeurologycerebellummedicine.medical_treatmentStimulus (physiology)Motor ActivitySettore BIO/09 - Fisiologiafocal dystoniamedicineHumansDystoniaAnalysis of Variancebusiness.industryGeneral NeuroscienceMotor CortexNeural InhibitionFocal dystoniaNeurophysiologymedicine.diseaseTranscranial Magnetic StimulationTranscranial magnetic stimulationDystoniamedicine.anatomical_structureTMSArmFemaleSettore MED/26 - Neurologiabusinesshuman activitiesNeuroscienceMotor cortex

description

Recent evidence suggests a role for cerebellum in pathophysiology of dystonia. Here we explored, the cerebellar modulation of motor cortex in patients with focal upper limb dystonia. Eight patients and eight controls underwent a transcranial magnetic stimulation protocol to study the cerebellar-brain-inhibition (CBI): a conditioning cerebellar stimulus (CCS) was followed 5 ms after by the contralateral motor cortex stimulation (test stimulus: TS). We explored the effects of CBI on MEP amplitude, short intracortical inhibition (SICI) and intracortical facilitation (ICF) measures. At baseline no differences in TS-MEP amplitude, SICI or ICF were found between patients and controls. Cerebellar-conditioning significantly reduced TS-MEP amplitude, increased ICF, and decreased SICI in control subjects. In contrast, no changes in these neurophysiological measures were observed in the motor cortex of patients, regardless of which side was tested. If further confirmed, these findings suggest a reduced cerebellar modulation of motor cortex excitability in patients with focal dystonia.

yearjournalcountryeditionlanguage
2008-09-25
10.1007/s00221-008-1572-9http://hdl.handle.net/10447/35928