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Weakness of head turning in hemiplegia: a quantitative study
Journal of Neurology, Neurosurgery, and Psychiatry
|February 1, 1986
Summary
Head turning strength is typically equal in healthy individuals. In hemiplegia patients, strength is reduced away from the lesion in higher brain areas but towards the lesion in medullary cases.
Area of Science:
- Neurology
- Neuroscience
- Motor Control
Background:
- Head turning is a complex motor function involving multiple muscles.
- Understanding the neural control of head turning is crucial for diagnosing and treating neurological disorders.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the strength of head turning in healthy subjects and patients with vascular hemiplegia.
- To identify patterns of head turning weakness related to lesion location in the brain.
Main Methods:
- Quantitative measurement of head turning strength.
- Comparison between normal subjects and patients with hemiplegia of vascular origin.
- Analysis of strength deficits based on lesion site (cortical, capsular, brainstem, medullary).
Main Results:
- No significant difference in head turning strength between sides in normal subjects.
- Reduced head turning strength away from the lesion side in cortical, capsular, or high brainstem lesions.
- Reduced head turning strength towards the lesion side in medullary lesions.
Conclusions:
- Head turning strength asymmetry can indicate specific neurological lesion locations.
- Findings provide insights into the cortical control of the sternocleidomastoid muscle and head turning.
- This assessment may aid in localizing neurological deficits affecting head movement.