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Transcranial cortical stimulation in syringomyelia: correlation with disability?
Muscle & Nerve
|May 1, 1993
Summary
Transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) showed prolonged central motor conduction times in 44% of syringomyelia patients. However, TMS had limited value for diagnosing or monitoring this condition due to weak correlation with clinical findings.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Neurology
- Clinical Neurophysiology
Background:
- Syringomyelia is a rare spinal cord disorder characterized by cyst formation.
- Assessing the functional integrity of the motor pathways is crucial for managing syringomyelia.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the utility of transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) in assessing central motor conduction times in patients with syringomyelia.
- To determine the correlation between TMS findings and clinical presentation and magnetic resonance tomography (MRT) in syringomyelia.
Main Methods:
- Transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) was performed on 17 patients diagnosed with syringomyelia.
- Central motor conduction times, specifically for the lower-limb pathway, were measured.
- Results were compared with clinical assessments and magnetic resonance tomography (MRT) findings.
Main Results:
- Abnormalities in central motor conduction time (prolonged or absent responses) were observed in 44% of the TMS stimulations.
- A weak correlation was found between TMS results and both clinical findings and MRT data.
Conclusions:
- Transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) demonstrates limited diagnostic and monitoring value for syringomyelia.
- Current neurophysiological assessment using TMS does not strongly correlate with the disease's clinical or radiological severity.