Somatosensory and acoustic brain stem reflex myoclonus.
A patient with brain stem reflex myoclonus due to a massive midbrain infarct was studied electrophysiologically. Myoclonic jerks were elicited at variable latencies by tapping anywhere on the body or by acoustic stimuli, and mainly involved flexor muscles of upper extremities. The existence of convergence of somatosensory and acoustic inputs in the brain stem was suggested. This myoclonus seemed to be mediated by a mechanism similar to the spino-bulbo-spinal reflex.
Shibasaki
H
H
Department of Internal Medicine, Saga Medical School, Japan.
Kakigi
R
R
Oda
K
K
Masukawa
S
S
D000368:Aged; D001933:Brain Stem / Q000503:physiopathology*; D002540:Cerebral Cortex / Q000503:physiopathology; D002544:Cerebral Infarction / Q000503:physiopathology; D004569:Electroencephalography; D005072:Evoked Potentials, Auditory; D005073:Evoked Potentials, Somatosensory; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008475:Median Nerve / Q000503:physiopathology; D009207:Myoclonus / Q000503:physiopathology*; D011930:Reaction Time / Q000502:physiology; D012021:Reflex, Abnormal / Q000503:physiopathology*; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed