title: Predictability of Motor Outcome According to the Time of Motor Evoked Potentials From the Onset of Stroke in Patients With Putaminal Hemorrhage.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To determine the predictability of motor evoked potentials (MEP) in patients with putaminal hemorrhage (PH) according to the time of MEP from the onset of stroke.
  
  
  METHODS
  Sixty consecutive patients with PH from January 2006 to November 2013 were retrospectively reviewed. Motor function of affected extremities was measured at onset time and at six months after the onset. Patients were classified into two groups according to the time of MEP from the onset of stroke: early MEP group (within 15 days from onset) and late MEP group (16-30 days from onset). Patients were also classified into two groups according to the presence of MEP on the affected abductor pollicis brevis (APB): MEP (+) group-patients (showing MEP in the affected APB) and MEP (-) group-patients (no MEP in the affected APB). Motor outcome was compared between the two early and late MEP groups or between the presence and absence of MEP in the affected APB groups.
  
  
  RESULTS
  For patients with MEP (+), a larger portion in the late MEP group showed good prognosis compared to the early MEP group (late MEP, 94.4%; early MEP, 80%). In contrast, in patients with MEP (-), a larger portion of patients in the late MEP group showed bad prognosis compared to the early MEP group (late MEP, 80%; early MEP, 71.4%). No significant improvement of MI between MEP (+) and MEP (-) was observed when MEP was performed early or late.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our results revealed that the predictability of motor outcome might be better if MEP is performed late compared to that when MEP is performed early in patients with PH.
authors.affiliation: Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Yeungnam University College of Medicine, Daegu, Korea.
authors.forename: Yong Min
authors.initials: YM
authors.lastname: Kwon
authors.affiliation: Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Yeungnam University College of Medicine, Daegu, Korea.
authors.forename: Sung Ho
authors.initials: SH
authors.lastname: Jang
authors.affiliation: Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Yeungnam University College of Medicine, Daegu, Korea.
authors.forename: Jung Won
authors.initials: JW
authors.lastname: Lee
keywords: Motor evoked potentials; Putaminal hemorrhage; Recovery of function; Stroke; Transcranial magnetic stimulation