title: Influence of the corticospinal tract on the cutaneous silent period: a study in patients with pyramidal syndrome.
abstract: The cutaneous silent period (CSP) is a brief transient suppression of the voluntary muscle contraction that follows a noxious cutaneous nerve stimulation. In this study we investigated the influence of the corticospinal tract on this spinal inhibitory reflex. In patients with pyramidal syndrome and in a group of healthy subjects we delivered painful electrical finger stimulation during sustained contraction of the ipsilateral abductor digiti minimi muscle. The CSP latency and duration and the background electromyographic (EMG) activity were measured and compared between-groups. The compound motor action potential amplitude and F-wave latency were also measured after electrical stimulation of the ulnar nerve at the wrist. The CSP latency was significantly longer in patients than in healthy subjects. None of the other variables differed in patients and healthy subjects. Our findings suggest that corticospinal projections influence the CSP latency probably by modulating the balance of excitability in the underlying circuits.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurological Sciences, University of Rome Sapienza, Viale dell'Università 30, 00185 Rome, Italy.
authors.forename: Francesca
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Gilio
authors.forename: Chiara Marini
authors.initials: CM
authors.lastname: Bettolo
authors.forename: Antonella
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Conte
authors.forename: Elisa
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Iacovelli
authors.forename: Vittorio
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Frasca
authors.forename: Mariano
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Serrao
authors.forename: Elena
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Giacomelli
authors.forename: Maria
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Gabriele
authors.forename: Massimiliano
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Prencipe
authors.forename: Maurizio
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Inghilleri
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000690:Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis / Q000473:pathology; D004558:Electric Stimulation / Q000379:methods; D004576:Electromyography / Q000379:methods; D019054:Evoked Potentials, Motor / Q000502:physiology / Q000528:radiation effects; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009119:Muscle Contraction / Q000502:physiology* / Q000528:radiation effects; D009433:Neural Inhibition / Q000502:physiology* / Q000528:radiation effects; D011712:Pyramidal Tracts / Q000503:physiopathology*; D011930:Reaction Time / Q000502:physiology / Q000528:radiation effects; D012867:Skin / Q000294:innervation*; D020521:Stroke / Q000473:pathology