Prognostic value of decremental responses to repetitive nerve stimulation in ALS patients

Decrement of the thenar compound muscle action potentials (CMAP), after repetitive nerve stimulation (RNS) of the median nerve at 3 Hz, was evaluated in patients with ALS before riluzole therapy. CMAP size as well as motor unit number and size estimates were evaluated twice before and after 1 year o...

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Bibliographic Details
Published inNeurology Vol. 57; no. 5; p. 897
Main Authors Wang, F C, De Pasqua, V, Gérard, P, Delwaide, P J
Format Journal Article
LanguageEnglish
Published United States 11.09.2001
Subjects
Action Potentials - physiology
Adult
Aged
Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis - drug therapy
Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis - physiopathology
Humans
Median Nerve - physiology
Middle Aged
Muscular Atrophy - physiopathology
Neuroprotective Agents - therapeutic use
Prognosis
Prospective Studies
Riluzole - therapeutic use
Transcutaneous Electric Nerve Stimulation - methods
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Summary:Decrement of the thenar compound muscle action potentials (CMAP), after repetitive nerve stimulation (RNS) of the median nerve at 3 Hz, was evaluated in patients with ALS before riluzole therapy. CMAP size as well as motor unit number and size estimates were evaluated twice before and after 1 year of riluzole therapy. The correlation between decrement and CMAP size reduction per year was highly significant (r = 0.77), but no relationship could be demonstrated between decrement and other variables. The authors thus propose that decrement after RNS may be used as a predictor of further drop in CMAP size.
ISSN:0028-3878
DOI:10.1212/WNL.57.5.897