H-reflex recovery curve and reciprocal inhibition of H-reflex in different kinds of dystonia.
We studied the H-reflex recovery curve and reciprocal inhibition of the H-reflex bilaterally in the upper limb of 5 patients with generalized dystonia, 5 patients with blepharospasm, 10 patients with spasmodic torticollis, and 14 patients with writer's cramp. We compared the results with those obtained from a group of healthy volunteers. The recovery curve of the H-reflex was normal in patients with writer's cramp or blepharospasm, but showed an increase of the physiologic recovery at a 200 msec delay in patients with spasmodic torticollis or generalized dystonia. Reciprocal inhibition of the H-reflex showed a decrease in the amount of inhibition in all the patient groups and a facilitation of the H-reflex during the 3rd period of inhibition in the patients with spasmodic torticollis or generalized dystonia.
Panizza
M
M
Human Motor Control Section, National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892.
Lelli
S
S
Nilsson
J
J
Hallett
M
M
D000328:Adult; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D004421:Dystonia / Q000503:physiopathology*; D005542:Forearm / Q000503:physiopathology; D006181:H-Reflex / Q000502:physiology*; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D011930:Reaction Time / Q000502:physiology; D012023:Reflex, Monosynaptic / Q000502:physiology*