title: Excitability of the motor cortical representation of the external anal sphincter.
abstract: This study was designed to assess the excitability of the motor cortical representation of the external anal sphincter by using transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS). In six healthy volunteers, the rest motor threshold and the duration of the cortical silent period were determined with single TMS pulses, and the intracortical inhibition and facilitation were measured with paired TMS pulses. Values obtained from the anal sphincter were compared with those obtained from a muscle in the right hand. All subjects completed the study. Rest motor threshold and intracortical facilitation were similar in both muscles. In contrast, cortical silent period duration and intra-cortical inhibition were less for the anal sphincter than for hand muscle. This study has opened new perspectives for the investigation of anal sphincter cortical control in humans.
authors.affiliation: Club d'Electrophysiologie Périnéale, Service de Physiologie-Explorations Fonctionnelles, Hôpital Henri Mondor, Assistance Publique-Hôpitaux de Paris, 51 avenue de-Lattre-de-Tassigny, 94010, Créteil, France. jean-pascal.lefaucheur@hmn.ap-hop-paris.fr
authors.forename: Jean-Pascal
authors.initials: JP
authors.lastname: Lefaucheur
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001003:Anal Canal / Q000294:innervation* / Q000502:physiology*; D003672:Defecation / Q000502:physiology; D004525:Efferent Pathways / Q000502:physiology; D004558:Electric Stimulation / Q000379:methods; D004566:Electrodes / Q000592:standards; D004594:Electrophysiology / Q000295:instrumentation / Q000379:methods; D019054:Evoked Potentials, Motor / Q000502:physiology*; D005242:Fecal Incontinence / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000503:physiopathology; D005260:Female; D006225:Hand / Q000294:innervation / Q000502:physiology; D006801:Humans; D008280:Magnetics; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009044:Motor Cortex / Q000502:physiology*; D009119:Muscle Contraction / Q000502:physiology*; D009433:Neural Inhibition / Q000502:physiology; D011930:Reaction Time / Q000502:physiology