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Effects of conditioning peripheral repetitive magnetic stimulation in patients with complex regional pain syndrome
Phillip Krause1, Stefanie Foerderreuther, Andreas Straube
1Department of Neurology, University of Munich, Klinikum Grosshadern, Munich, Germany. pkrause@nefo.med.uni-muenchen.de
Objectives:
We tested whether repetitive magnetic stimulation (rMS) induces an afferent input to the spinocerebral tract in patients with complex regional pain syndrome (CRPS).
Methods:
Cortical and spinal motor evoked potentials (cMEP and sMEP), as well as the contra- and ipsilateral silent period (cCSP and iCSP), were recorded in patients with CRPS type I before and after conditioning rMS, applied at cervical nerve roots innervating affected muscles. Patients were compared with a group of healthy subjects.
Results:
In the group of patients we found that cMEP amplitudes were always significantly smaller for both hemispheres. In the group of healthy subjects we found a significant prolongation of the cCSP and iCSP after rMS. This was absent in patients. SMEP were always unchanged in both groups.
Discussion:
This led us to the explanation that the afferent input to the motor cortical system in CRPS patients is less effective than in healthy subjects.
