title: Transcranial magnetic stimulation can diagnose electrical burn-induced myelopathy.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  We conducted motor- and sensory-evoked potential analyses and investigated their diagnostic value in differentiating between electrical burns without evidence of neurologic injury and those with clinical evidence of myelopathy.
  
  
  METHODS
  We studied high-voltage electrical burn injury patients with lower extremity weakness and evidence of myelopathy and those without any evidence of neurological complications. Motor-evoked potentials (MEPs), somatosensory-evoked potentials (SEPs), and MRI studies of the spinal cord, as well as transcranial magnetic stimulations, were performed. The central motor conduction time (CMCT) was also calculated.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The upper limb MEP and upper and lower limb SEP variables did not statistically differ between the 2 groups. The CMCT and total motor conduction time recorded in the lower limb were delayed in the burn myelopathy group. MRI revealed no abnormal signal changes in myelopathy patients.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our study demonstrates that MEP is useful in identifying myelopathy in patients who have sustained high-voltage electrical burns.
authors.affiliation: Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, Hangang Sacred Heart Hospital, College of Medicine, Hallym University, Seoul, Republic of Korea. chseomd@gmail.com
authors.forename: Cheong Hoon
authors.initials: CH
authors.lastname: Seo
authors.forename: Ki Un
authors.initials: KU
authors.lastname: Jang
authors.forename: Byoung Chul
authors.initials: BC
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: Ihn-Geun
authors.initials: IG
authors.lastname: Choi
authors.forename: Jong Hyun
authors.initials: JH
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Wook
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Chun
authors.forename: Je Hoon
authors.initials: JH
authors.lastname: Jeong
authors.forename: Tae-Cheon
authors.initials: TC
authors.lastname: Kang
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D002058:Burns, Electric / Q000175:diagnosis*; D019054:Evoked Potentials, Motor / Q000502:physiology; D005073:Evoked Potentials, Somatosensory / Q000502:physiology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D035002:Lower Extremity / Q000502:physiology; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D013118:Spinal Cord Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis*; D050781:Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation; D034941:Upper Extremity / Q000502:physiology; D055815:Young Adult