title: Prolonged central motor conduction time of lower limb muscle in spinocerebellar ataxia 6.
abstract: We investigated the function of corticospinal tract in spinocerebellar ataxia 6 (SCA6) by measuring the central motor conduction time (CMCT). Motor evoked potentials (MEP) of tibialis anterior (TA) muscle were elicited by magnetic stimulation to motor cortex and spinal cord in 9 SCA6 patients and 10 normal height- and age-matched subjects. CMCT in lower limb of SCA6 patients (18.1+/-1.9 ms) was significantly prolonged than that of the normal subjects (15.0+/-1.0 ms) ((p < 0.001). The prolonged CMCT was well correlated with the duration of disease (p = 0.005), but MEP amplitudes and stimulation intensities were not significantly different. These results indicate that the corticospinal tract function is also impaired and correlate with the disease duration in SCA6.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, Neurological Institute, Taipei Veterans General Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Jen-Tse
authors.initials: JT
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: Yung-Yang
authors.initials: YY
authors.lastname: Lin
authors.forename: Yi-Chung
authors.initials: YC
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: Bing-Wen
authors.initials: BW
authors.lastname: Soong
authors.forename: Zin-An
authors.initials: ZA
authors.lastname: Wu
authors.forename: Kwong-Kum
authors.initials: KK
authors.lastname: Liao
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D004558:Electric Stimulation / Q000379:methods; D019054:Evoked Potentials, Motor / Q000502:physiology* / Q000528:radiation effects; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D035002:Lower Extremity; D008297:Male; D008592:Menisci, Tibial / Q000503:physiopathology* / Q000528:radiation effects; D008875:Middle Aged; D009431:Neural Conduction / Q000502:physiology*; D011712:Pyramidal Tracts / Q000503:physiopathology; D011930:Reaction Time / Q000502:physiology / Q000528:radiation effects; D020754:Spinocerebellar Ataxias / Q000473:pathology* / Q000503:physiopathology*; D050781:Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation