Disinhibition of the somatosensory cortex in cervical dystonia-decreased amplitudes of high-frequency oscillations.
OBJECTIVE
To determine whether patients with cervical dystonia have electrophysiological signs of disinhibition in the somatosensory cortex by recording high-frequency oscillations (HFOs) in somatosensory evoked potentials (SEPs).


METHODS
HFOs were recorded in 13 patients and 10 age-matched control subjects, and the data were analyzed statistically by paired comparison and by Pearson's correlation.


RESULTS
In patients with cervical dystonia, the early part of HFOs showed a significant decrease in amplitude, and the amplitude ratios of both early and late parts of HFOs/N20 potential were also significantly decreased. The amplitudes of HFOs and N20 potential were linearly correlated in the control subjects but not in dystonia patients.


CONCLUSIONS
Patients with cervical dystonia may suffer from a disturbance of inhibition in the sensory cortex. This disturbance is reflected by decreased HFO amplitude, representing decreased activities of inhibitory interneurons in area 3b.
Inoue
Ken
K
Department of Clinical Neuroscience and Therapeutics, Hiroshima University Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, 1-2-3 Kasumi, Minami-ku, Hiroshima 734-8551, Japan. keninoue@hiroshima-u.ac.jp
Hashimoto
Isao
I
Shirai
Takushi
T
Kawakami
Hideshi
H
Miyachi
Takafumi
T
Mimori
Yasuyo
Y
Matsumoto
Masayasu
M
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D004292:Dominance, Cerebral; D005073:Evoked Potentials, Somatosensory; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D018727:Muscarinic Antagonists / Q000627:therapeutic use; D009433:Neural Inhibition; D009991:Oscillometry; D011930:Reaction Time; D013003:Somatosensory Cortex / Q000503:physiopathology*; D014103:Torticollis / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000503:physiopathology*; D014282:Trihexyphenidyl / Q000627:therapeutic use
D018727:Muscarinic Antagonists; D014282:Trihexyphenidyl