title: A reappraisal of long-latency abdominal muscle reflexes in patients with propriospinal myoclonus.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  We report 3 patients with typical clinical and electrophysiological characteristics of propriospinal myoclonus propagating from a thoracic spine generator.
  
  
  METHODS
  In these patients, the pattern of recruitment of long-latency electromyographic reflexes in abdominal muscles was studied in response to various stimuli.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Abdominal reflex latency varied from 60 to 140 ms depending on stimulus location. Latency increased from magnetic stimulation of the thoracic spine to electrical stimulation of the supraorbital nerve, electrical stimulation of the median nerve, and magnetic stimulation of the motor cortex.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Long-latency abdominal reflex jerks are probably controlled by the brain stem to propriospinal system projections in patients with propriospinal myoclonus. The stereotyped pattern of recruitment of these reflexes could be of clinical utility to differentiate organic propriospinal myoclonus from psychogenic or mimicked jerks.
authors: Service de Physiologie-Explorations Fonctionnelles, Hôpital Henri Mondor, APHP, EA 4391, Faculté de Médecine de Créteil, Université Paris-Est-Créteil, Créteil, France.
authors: Samar S
authors: SS
authors: Ayache
authors: Rechdi
authors: R
authors: Ahdab
authors: Pierre
authors: P
authors: Brugières
authors: Jean-François
authors: JF
authors: Ejzenbaum
authors: François-Jérôme
authors: FJ
authors: Authier
authors: Gilles
authors: G
authors: Fénelon
authors: Jean-Pascal
authors: JP
authors: Lefaucheur