Physiological functions of the ascending spinal tracts in HTLV-I-associated myelopathy (HAM).
Physiological functions of the spinothalamic tract (STT) and the posterior column (PC) were studied in 19 Japanese patients with HTLV-I-associated myelopathy (HAM). The former was evaluated by pain-related somatosensory evoked potentials (SEPs) following CO2 laser stimulation, and the latter by conventional SEPs following electrical stimulation. Conduction velocity of STT and PC was significantly decreased in 9 and 14 patients, respectively, and more than half of them showed no clinical impairment of sensations (subclinical abnormality).
Department of Internal Medicine, Saga Medical School, Japan.
R
R
Kakigi
Y
Y
Kuroda
H
H
Takashima
C
C
Endo
R
R
Neshige
H
H
Shibasaki
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D004558:Electric Stimulation; D004569:Electroencephalography; D005073:Evoked Potentials, Somatosensory / Q000502:physiology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007834:Lasers; D008297:Male; D008475:Median Nerve / Q000502:physiology; D008875:Middle Aged; D009431:Neural Conduction / Q000502:physiology; D010146:Pain / Q000503:physiopathology; D015493:Paraparesis, Tropical Spastic / Q000503:physiopathology*; D011930:Reaction Time / Q000502:physiology; D013133:Spinothalamic Tracts / Q000502:physiology*; D013979:Tibial Nerve / Q000502:physiology