title: The origin of the premotor potential recorded from the second lumbrical muscle in normal man.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  When recording with a palm electrode, a premotor potential precedes the compound muscle action potential (CMAP), evoked from the second lumbrical (2L) muscle following median nerve stimulation. The purpose of this study was to determine the origin of the premotor potential from the 2L.
  
  
  METHODS
  We recorded potentials with multi-channel electrodes in the palm and finger in a bipolar or referential manner, stimulating the second digit or median nerve at the wrist.
  
  
  RESULTS
  We recorded the traveling nearfield sensory nerve action potential (SNAP) and stationary negative potential in the palm. The peak latency of the stationary negative potential was the same as the one of the near-field potential of the digital sensory fibers at the base of the second finger. The onset of the premotor potential from the 2L muscle is aligned to the palmar SNAP in a bipolar manner by antidromic stimulation.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  We conclude that the premotor potential from the 2L muscle is composed of a SNAP arising from antidromically activated palm sensory branches and a far-field potential generated by the median digital nerve fibers as they pass from the palm into the second finger.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our results might be useful for evaluating the 2L-interossei test for diagnosing carpal tunnel syndrome.
authors.affiliation: Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, Tokai University School of Medicine, Kanagawa, Japan. masakado@is.icc.u-tokai.ac.jp
authors.forename: Yoshihisa
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Masakado
authors.forename: Mitsuhiko
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kodama
authors.forename: Osamu
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Takahashi
authors.forename: Yu
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Sasao
authors.forename: Takashi
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Kasahara
authors.forename: Masaki
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Hyodo
authors.forename: Kozo
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Hanayama
authors.forename: Yoshiyuki
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Fujita
mesh_terms: D000200:Action Potentials / Q000502:physiology*; D000328:Adult; D005260:Female; D006225:Hand / Q000294:innervation / Q000502:physiology*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008475:Median Nerve / Q000502:physiology*; D008875:Middle Aged; D009044:Motor Cortex / Q000502:physiology; D018482:Muscle, Skeletal / Q000294:innervation / Q000502:physiology*; D009431:Neural Conduction / Q000502:physiology*