Spinal myoclonus with giant somatosensory evoked potentials and enhanced long-loop reflex: a case report.
We describe a patient with an ischaemic lesion of the cervical spinal cord who presented with clinical evidence of stimulus-sensitive, multisegmental myoclonic jerks restricted to the truncal and proximal limb muscles and accompanied by electrophysiological features (giant somatosensory evoked potentials and enhanced long-loop reflex) of cortical myoclonus. We hypothesize that these features might result from a loss of inhibitory influences on the sensory input to cortical structures: a concomitant contribution of spinal and cortical hyperexcitability seems to have played a crucial role in inducing myoclonus in our patient.
Serrao
Mariano
M
Department of Neurology and Otolaryngology, University "La Sapienza", Rome, Italy. jackmarian@mclink.it
Cardinali
Patrizio
P
Rossi
Paolo
P
Perrotta
Armando
A
Bartolo
Michelangelo
M
Parisi
Leoluca
L
Pierelli
Francesco
F
D000368:Aged; D000927:Anticonvulsants / Q000627:therapeutic use; D002574:Cervical Vertebrae; D004569:Electroencephalography; D004576:Electromyography; D005073:Evoked Potentials, Somatosensory; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D000077287:Levetiracetam; D009207:Myoclonus / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000209:etiology / Q000503:physiopathology; D010889:Piracetam / Q000031:analogs & derivatives* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D012018:Reflex; D020760:Spinal Cord Ischemia / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000503:physiopathology; D016896:Treatment Outcome
D000927:Anticonvulsants; D000077287:Levetiracetam; D010889:Piracetam