title: Event-related potentials in the segmental exclusion syndrome of the upper limb.
abstract: Upper limb segmental exclusion syndromes are frequent after traumatic or infectious affections. They can be defined as an insufficient utilization of a limb segment--fingers or hand--reversible on verbal exhortation and arising in subjects with no other neurologic or psychiatric disorder. Our hypothesis was that the segmental exclusion syndrome could be likened to a neglect behavior. To verify the validity of this hypothesis, we measured digital nerve short-latency SEP and SEP-P300 waves in response to odd-ball task target stimuli in healthy volunteers (n = 11) and patients with digit exclusion syndromes (n = 19). For N20 latency, there was no significant difference (Wilcoxon's test: p = 0.52) between normal and excluded digits. Stimulation of the excluded vs normal digit resulted in a significant lengthening in SEP-P300 latency (p = 0.0003). The implication of these results and means of extending our knowledge of the pathophysiology of exclusion syndromes are discussed.
authors.affiliation: Centre de Réadaptation de Lay-Saint-Christophe, France.
authors.forename: J M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Beis
authors.forename: J M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: André
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Vielh
authors.forename: X
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Ducrocq
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001132:Arm / Q000503:physiopathology; D018913:Event-Related Potentials, P300 / Q000502:physiology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010523:Peripheral Nervous System Diseases / Q000503:physiopathology*