Cortical excitability in Duchenne muscular dystrophy.
OBJECTIVE
To investigate the probable cortical excitability changes in DMD by electrophysiological means.


METHODS
Sixteen cases with DMD, 10 age-matched control children (CC) and 10 healthy adult volunteers (AC) were studied with a transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) test battery composed of central conduction time, cortical silent period and paired TMS paradigm.


RESULTS
There were no significant differences between DMD and CC groups except for lower amplitude motor responses in DMD cases. These two groups showed a similar pattern of excitability with less short interval intracortical inhibitions and shorter silent period durations as compared to the AC subjects.


CONCLUSIONS
The electrophysiological tests performed in our DMD patients did not reveal abnormalities caused particularly by the disorder.


CONCLUSIONS
TMS excitability studies performed in DMD boys may not provide findings other than those related to the developmental age.
Department of Neurology, Istanbul University Istanbul Faculty of Medicine, Capa 34390, Istanbul, Turkey. vildanyayla@yahoo.com
V
V
Yayla
A E
AE
Oge
F
F
Deymeer
H
H
Gurvit
S
S
Akca-Kalem
Y
Y
Parman
P
P
Oflazer
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D002540:Cerebral Cortex / Q000503:physiopathology*; D002648:Child; D004056:Differential Threshold / Q000502:physiology; D004558:Electric Stimulation / Q000379:methods; D019054:Evoked Potentials, Motor / Q000502:physiology*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D020388:Muscular Dystrophy, Duchenne / Q000473:pathology* / Q000503:physiopathology*; D009431:Neural Conduction; D009433:Neural Inhibition / Q000502:physiology; D011930:Reaction Time / Q000502:physiology; D013997:Time Factors; D050781:Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation / Q000379:methods