The use of transcranial magnetic stimulation in the clinical evaluation of suspected myelopathy

• Published in: Journal of clinical neuroscience Vol. 12; no. 8; pp. 878 - 881
• Main Authors: Chan, Y.C., Mills, K.R.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Scotland Elsevier Ltd 01.11.2005
• Subjects: Aged; Electromyography; Evoked Potentials, Motor - physiology; Female; Humans; Magnetic Resonance Imaging; Male; Middle Aged; motor evoked potential; Muscle, Skeletal - physiology; myelopathy; Sensitivity and Specificity; Spinal Cord Compression - diagnosis; Spinal Cord Compression - physiopathology; Spinal Cord Diseases - diagnosis; Spinal Cord Diseases - physiopathology; Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation; motor evoked potential; transcranial magnetic stimulation; myelopathy
• ISSN: 0967-5868; 1532-2653
• DOI: 10.1016/j.jocn.2005.01.007

Central motor conduction time (CMCT) and motor evoked potential (MEP) latencies measured by using transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) are parameters used to evaluate electrophysiologic function of the corticospinal motor tract. We present 5 cases to illustrate how the use of TMS had contributed to clinical management. CMCT and MEP latency measurements were found to be useful in determining the significance of lesions seen on neuroimaging and helped clinical decisions in the presence of multiple lesions or multiple clinical conditions that cause similar clinical manifestations. TMS study is particularly useful in localizing levels of conduction defect.