Impairment of cortical inhibition in writer's cramp as revealed by changes in electromyographic silent period after transcranial magnetic stimulation

S. R. Filipović, M. Ljubisavljević, M. Svetel, S. Milanović, A. Kačar, V. S. Kostić

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

120 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

Changes in silent period (SP) duration following transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) set at 20% above the motor threshold were studied in six subjects suffering from writer's cramp, while performing dystonic movement and during voluntary isometric contraction of the muscles mostly involved in the dystonic movement. Dependency of SP duration on the intensity of preceding muscle contraction was compared on both affected and healthy side. In all subjects SP duration during dystonic contraction was shorter than during voluntary contraction of the similar strength performed with the same hand. Also, in five subjects, SP duration during dystonic contraction was shorter than during voluntary contraction of the similar strength performed with the healthy hand. In addition, the SP duration on the affected side was negatively associated with the intensity of the preceding contraction (i.e. the stronger contraction the shorter SP), while on the healthy side it was not the case. It is concluded that central inhibitory mechanisms are abnormal in writer's cramp.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)167-170
Number of pages4
JournalNeuroscience Letters
Volume222
Issue number3
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - Feb 7 1997
Externally publishedYes

Keywords

  • Focal dystonia
  • Intracortical inhibition
  • Silent period
  • Transcranial magnetic stimulation
  • Writer's cramp

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Neuroscience(all)

Fingerprint

Dive into the research topics of 'Impairment of cortical inhibition in writer's cramp as revealed by changes in electromyographic silent period after transcranial magnetic stimulation'. Together they form a unique fingerprint.

Cite this