Impaired motor cortical inhibition in Parkinson's disease : Motor unit responses to transcranial magnetic stimulation

• Published in: Experimental brain research Vol. 138; no. 4; pp. 477 - 483
• Main Authors: KLEINE, Bert U, PRAAMSTRA, Peter, STEGEMAN, Dick F, ZWARTS, Machiel J
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Berlin Springer 01.06.2001; Springer Nature B.V
• Subjects: Action Potentials - physiology; Aged; Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis; Biological and medical sciences; Cortex (motor); Degenerative and inherited degenerative diseases of the nervous system. Leukodystrophies. Prion diseases; Elbow; Electric Stimulation; Electromyography; Excitability; Excitatory Postsynaptic Potentials - physiology; Female; Firing pattern; Humans; Magnetic fields; Male; Medical sciences; Membrane potential; Middle Aged; Motor Cortex - physiopathology; Motor neuron diseases; Motor Neurons - physiology; Motor units; Movement disorders; Muscle Contraction - physiology; Muscle, Skeletal - innervation; Muscle, Skeletal - physiopathology; Neural Inhibition - physiology; Neurodegenerative diseases; Neurology; Parkinson Disease - physiopathology; Parkinson's disease; Pyramidal tracts; Pyramidal Tracts - physiopathology; Reaction Time - physiology; Synaptic Transmission - physiology; Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation; Human; Nervous system diseases; Discharge pattern; Excitability; Parkinson disease; Corticospinal bundle; Motor neuron; Striated muscle; Motor control; Motor unit; Cerebral disorder; Electrodiagnosis; Pyramidal motor pathway; Motor cortex; Central nervous system disease; Magnetic stimulus; Degenerative disease; Electromyography; Extrapyramidal syndrome

Transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS)-induced corticospinal volleys can be investigated in detail by analysing the firing pattern modulation of active motor units (MUs) at close to threshold stimulation strengths. In amyotropic lateral sclerosis (ALS) these volleys are dispersed and prolonged, att...