title: High frequency bursting during rapid finger movements in an unusual case of epilepsia partialis continua.
abstract: Myoclonic activity was analyzed in a 25-year-old male patient suffering from epilepsia partialis continua in his right finger and hand extensors and flexors. The involuntary tremorlike regular muscle jerks occurred at an average rate 7.7/s under resting conditions. Bursting frequency did not change during smooth ramp movements but increased up to 25/s during rapid extensions of the fingers. The EEG showed trains of sharp waves over the left temporoparietal and the midcentral regions but backaveraging did not yield reproducible jerk-related potentials. Somatosensory evoked potentials were not enhanced. It is suggested that the observed pattern of muscle jerks resulted from a spontaneous bursting behaviour of motor cortical neurones.
authors.affiliation: Neurologische Klinik, Universität Düsseldorf, W.-Germany.
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Hefter
authors.forename: O W
authors.initials: OW
authors.lastname: Witte
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Reiners
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Niedermeyer
authors.forename: H J
authors.initials: HJ
authors.lastname: Freund
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D004569:Electroencephalography; D004576:Electromyography; D017036:Epilepsia Partialis Continua / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000503:physiopathology*; D005385:Fingers / Q000503:physiopathology*; D006801:Humans; D007537:Isometric Contraction / Q000502:physiology; D008297:Male; D009043:Motor Activity / Q000502:physiology*; D009132:Muscles / Q000503:physiopathology; D014055:Tomography, Emission-Computed