Reciprocal inhibition in forearm muscles in patients with essential tremor.
Reciprocal inhibition of the H-reflex in the forearm flexor muscles was studied in 11 patients with essential tremor and in 10 normal controls. Whereas patients and controls had a similar first, disynaptic phase of reciprocal inhibition, patients had a significantly reduced second phase. Patients with more severe functional impairment had more pronounced abnormalities of reciprocal inhibition. Abnormalities of reciprocal inhibition may play a role in the pathophysiology of essential tremor and probably arise from defective suprasegmental control.
Mercuri
B
B
Dipartimento di Scienze Neurologiche, Università degli studi di Roma La Sapienza, Rome, Italy.
Berardelli
A
A
Modugno
N
N
Vacca
L
L
Ruggieri
S
S
Manfredi
M
M
D004576:Electromyography; D005542:Forearm / Q000503:physiopathology*; D006181:H-Reflex; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D009433:Neural Inhibition / Q000502:physiology*; D011826:Radial Nerve / Q000502:physiology; D014202:Tremor / Q000503:physiopathology*