Transcallosal inhibition and motor conduction studies in patients with schizophrenia using transcranial magnetic stimulation

1999 ◽  
Vol 175 (4) ◽  
pp. 375-379 ◽  
Author(s):  
B. Boroojerdi ◽  
R. Töpper ◽  
H. Foltys ◽  
U. Meincke

BackgroundTranscranial magnetic stimulation of the motor cortex may not only elicit excitatory responses in hand muscles contralateral to the stimulated hemisphere, but may also suppress tonic voluntary electromyogram activity in muscles ipsilateral to the stimulation. This inhibition is mediated between the motor cortices via the corpus callosum.AimsTo investigate motor excitability and interhemispheric (transcallosal) connections in patients with schizophrenia.MethodTranscallosal inhibition and motor conduction parameters were investigated in ten patients with schizophrenia and in ten age- and gender-matched healthy subjects.ResultsTranscallosal conduction time (TCT) and duration of the inhibition were significantly longer in patients with schizophrenia (mean (s.d.)): TCT, 12.4 (2.9) ms in normal subjects and 15.3 (2.6) ms in patients (P=0.03); mean duration, 34.1 (4.9) ms in normal subjects and 51.9 (16.8) ms in patients (P=0.01).ConclusionsMagnetic motor conduction parameters are unaltered in schizophrenia, but transcallosal inhibition is significantly delayed and prolonged. This may indicate abnormal function of the corpus callosum in these patients.

2013 ◽  
Vol 109 (3) ◽  
pp. 659-665 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jie-Yuan Li ◽  
Ping-Hong Lai ◽  
Robert Chen

Recent studies in normal subjects suggested that callosal motor fibers pass through the posterior body of the corpus callosum (CC), but this has not been tested in patients with callosal infarction. The objective of this study is to define the pathways involved in transcallosal inhibition by examining patients with infarctions in different subregions of the CC. We hypothesized that patients with lesions in the posterior one-half of the CC would have greater reduction in transcallosal inhibition between the motor cortices. Twenty-six patients with callosal infarction and 14 healthy subjects were studied. The callosal lesions were localized on sagittal MRI and were attributed to one of five segments of the CC. Transcranial magnetic stimulation was used to assess ipsilateral silent period (iSP) and short- and long-latency interhemispheric inhibition (SIHI and LIHI, respectively) originating from both motor cortices. The results showed that the iSP areas and durations were markedly reduced bilaterally in patients with callosal infarction compared with normal subjects. Patients with callosal infarctions also had less IHI bidirectionally compared with normal subjects. iSP areas and durations were lower in patients with lesions than in patients without lesions in segment 3 (posterior midbody) of the CC. Lesion burden in the posterior one-half of the CC negatively correlated transcallosal inhibition measured with iSP and SIHI. Our study suggests that callosal infarction led to reduced transcallosal inhibition, as measured by iSP, SIHI, and LIHI. Fibers mediating transcallosal inhibition cross the CC mainly in the posterior one-half.


1995 ◽  
Vol 73 (6) ◽  
pp. 2608-2611 ◽  
Author(s):  
L. Fadiga ◽  
L. Fogassi ◽  
G. Pavesi ◽  
G. Rizzolatti

1. We stimulated the motor cortex of normal subjects (transcranial magnetic stimulation) while they 1) observed an experimenter grasping 3D-objects, 2) looked at the same 3D-objects, 3) observed an experimenter tracing geometrical figures in the air with his arm, and 4) detected the dimming of a light. Motor evoked potentials (MEPs) were recorded from hand muscles. 2. We found that MEPs significantly increased during the conditions in which subjects observed movements. The MEP pattern reflected the pattern of muscle activity recorded when the subjects executed the observed actions. 3. We conclude that in humans there is a system matching action observation and execution. This system resembles the one recently described in the monkey.


2005 ◽  
Vol 93 (1) ◽  
pp. 53-63 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jen-Tse Chen ◽  
Yung-Yang Lin ◽  
Din-E Shan ◽  
Zin-An Wu ◽  
Mark Hallett ◽  
...  

Transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) of the motor cortex can interrupt voluntary contralateral rhythmic limb movements. Using the method of “resetting index” (RI), our study investigated the TMS effect on different types of bimanual movements. Six normal subjects participated. For unimanual movement, each subject tapped either the right or left index finger at a comfortable rate. For bimanual movement, index fingers of both hands tapped in the same (in-phase) direction or in the opposite (antiphase) direction. TMS was applied to each hemisphere separately at various intensities from 0.5 to 1.5 times motor threshold (MT). TMS interruption of rhythm was quantified by RI. For the unimanual movements, TMS disrupted both contralateral and ipsilateral rhythmic hand movements, although the effect was much less in the ipsilateral hand. For the bimanual in-phase task, TMS could simultaneously reset the rhythmic movements of both hands, but the effect on the contralateral hand was less and the effect on the ipsilateral hand was more compared with the unimanual tasks. Similar effects were seen from right and left hemisphere stimulation. TMS had little effect on the bimanual antiphase task. The equal effect of right and left hemisphere stimulation indicates that neither motor cortex is dominant for simple bimanual in-phase movement. The smaller influence of contralateral stimulation and the greater effect of ipsilateral stimulation during bimanual in-phase movement compared with unimanual movement suggest hemispheric coupling. The antiphase movements were resistant to TMS disruption, and this suggests that control of rhythm differs in the 2 tasks. TMS produced a transient asynchrony of movements on the 2 sides, indicating that both motor cortices might be downstream of the clocking command or that the clocking is a consequence of the 2 hemispheres communicating equally with each other.


Author(s):  
Anssam Bassem Mohy ◽  
Aqeel Kareem Hatem ◽  
Hussein Ghani Kadoori ◽  
Farqad Bader Hamdan

Abstract Background Transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) is a non-invasive procedure used in a small targeted region of the brain via electromagnetic induction and used diagnostically to measure the connection between the central nervous system (CNS) and skeletal muscle to evaluate the damage that occurs in MS. Objectives The study aims to investigate whether single-pulse TMS measures differ between patients with MS and healthy controls and to consider if these measures are associated with clinical disability. Patients and methods Single-pulse TMS was performed in 26 patients with MS who hand an Expanded Disability Status Scale (EDSS) score between 0 and 9.5 and in 26 normal subjects. Different TMS parameters from upper and lower limbs were investigated. Results TMS disclosed no difference in all MEP parameters between the right and left side of the upper and lower limbs in patients with MS and controls. In all patients, TMS parameters were different from the control group. Upper limb central motor conduction time (CMCT) was prolonged in MS patients with pyramidal signs. Upper and lower limb CMCT and CMCT-f wave (CMCT-f) were prolonged in patients with ataxia. Moreover, CMCT and CMCT-f were prolonged in MS patients with EDSS of 5–9.5 as compared to those with a score of 0–4.5. EDSS correlated with upper and lower limb cortical latency (CL), CMCT, and CMCT-f whereas motor evoked potential (MEP) amplitude not. Conclusion TMS yields objective data to evaluate clinical disability and its parameters correlated well with EDSS.


Nutrients ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (5) ◽  
pp. 1530
Author(s):  
Francesco Fisicaro ◽  
Giuseppe Lanza ◽  
Carmela Cinzia D’Agate ◽  
Raffaele Ferri ◽  
Mariagiovanna Cantone ◽  
...  

Background: Celiac disease (CD) may present or be complicated by neurological and neuropsychiatric manifestations. Transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) probes brain excitability non-invasively, also preclinically. We previously demonstrated an intracortical motor disinhibition and hyperfacilitation in de novo CD patients, which revert back after a long-term gluten-free diet (GFD). In this cross-sectional study, we explored the interhemispheric excitability by transcallosal inhibition, which has never been investigated in CD. Methods: A total of 15 right-handed de novo, neurologically asymptomatic, CD patients and 15 age-matched healthy controls were screened for cognitive and depressive symptoms to the Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA) and the 17-item Hamilton Depression Rating Scale (HDRS), respectively. TMS consisted of resting motor threshold, amplitude, latency, and duration of the motor evoked potentials, duration and latency of the contralateral silent period (cSP). Transcallosal inhibition was evaluated as duration and latency of the ipsilateral silent period (iSP). Results: MoCA and HDRS scored significantly worse in patients. The iSP and cSP were significantly shorter in duration in patients, with a positive correlation between the MoCA and iSP. Conclusions: An intracortical and interhemispheric motor disinhibition was observed in CD, suggesting the involvement of GABA-mediated cortical and callosal circuitries. Further studies correlating clinical, TMS, and neuroimaging data are needed.


2021 ◽  
Vol 12 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sepehr Mamoei ◽  
Henrik Boye Jensen ◽  
Andreas Kristian Pedersen ◽  
Mikkel Karl Emil Nygaard ◽  
Simon Fristed Eskildsen ◽  
...  

Objective: Persons with multiple sclerosis (PwMS), already established as responders or non-responders to Fampridine treatment, were compared in terms of disability measures, physical and cognitive performance tests, neurophysiology, and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) outcomes in a 1-year explorative longitudinal study.Materials and Methods: Data from a 1-year longitudinal study were analyzed. Examinations consisted of the timed 25-foot walk test (T25FW), six spot step test (SSST), nine-hole peg test (9-HPT), five times sit-to-stand test (5-STS), symbol digit modalities test (SDMT), transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) elicited motor evoked potentials (MEP) examining central motor conduction times (CMCT), peripheral motor conduction times (PMCT) and their amplitudes, electroneuronography (ENG) of the lower extremities, and brain structural MRI measures.Results: Forty-one responders and eight non-responders to Fampridine treatment were examined. There were no intergroup differences except for the PMCT, where non-responders had prolonged conduction times compared to responders to Fampridine. Six spot step test was associated with CMCT throughout the study. After 1 year, CMCT was further prolonged and cortical MEP amplitudes decreased in both groups, while PMCT and ENG did not change. Throughout the study, CMCT was associated with the expanded disability status scale (EDSS) and 12-item multiple sclerosis walking scale (MSWS-12), while SDMT was associated with number of T2-weighted lesions, lesion load, and lesion load normalized to brain volume.Conclusions: Peripheral motor conduction time is prolonged in non-responders to Fampridine when compared to responders. Transcranial magnetic stimulation-elicited MEPs and SDMT can be used as markers of disability progression and lesion activity visualized by MRI, respectively.Clinical Trial Registration:www.ClinicalTrials.gov, identifier: NCT03401307.


2020 ◽  
pp. 155005942095748 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tommaso Bocci ◽  
Davide Baloscio ◽  
Roberta Ferrucci ◽  
Lucia Briscese ◽  
Alberto Priori ◽  
...  

Background and Rationale Hyperkinetic movement disorders represent a heterogeneous group of diseases, different from a genetic and clinical perspective. In the past, neurophysiological approaches provided different, sometimes contradictory findings, pointing to an impaired cortical inhibition as a common electrophysiological marker. Our aim was to evaluate changes in interhemispheric communication in patients with idiopathic cervical dystonia (ICD) and spinocerebellar ataxias (SCAs). Materials and Methods Eleven patients with ICD, 7 with genetically confirmed SCA2 or SCA3, and 10 healthy volunteers were enrolled. The onset latency and duration of the ipsilateral silent period (iSPOL and iSPD, respectively), as well as the so-called transcallosal conduction time (TCT), were then recorded from the abductor pollicis brevis of the right side using an 8-shaped focal coil with wing diameters of 70 mm; all these parameters were evaluated and compared among groups. In SCAs, changes in neurophysiological measures were also correlated to the mutational load. Results iSPD was significantly shorter in patients with SCA2 and SCA3, when compared both to control and ICD ( P < .0001); iSPOL and TCT were prolonged in SCAs patients ( P < .001). Changes in iSPD, iSPOL, and TCT in SCAs are significantly correlated with the mutational load ( P = .01, P = .02, and P = .002, respectively). Discussion This is the first study to assess changes in interhemispheric communication in patients with SCAs and ICD, using a transcranial magnetic stimulation protocol. Together with previous data in Huntington’s disease, we suggest that these changes may underlie, at least in part, a common disease mechanism of polyglutamine disorders.


2019 ◽  
Vol 9 (8) ◽  
pp. 200 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mariagiovanna Cantone ◽  
Giuseppe Lanza ◽  
Alice Le Pira ◽  
Rita Barone ◽  
Giovanni Pennisi ◽  
...  

Background: Cervical myelopathy (CM) is a common cause of morbidity and disability in patients with mucopolysaccharidosis (MPS) and, therefore, early detection is crucial for the best surgical intervention and follow-up. Transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) non-invasively evaluates the conduction through the cortico-spinal tract, also allowing preclinical diagnosis and monitoring. Methods: Motor evoked potentials (MEPs) to TMS were recorded in a group of eight patients with MPS-related CM. Responses were obtained during mild tonic muscular activation by means of a circular coil held on the “hot spot” of the first dorsal interosseous and tibialis anterior muscles, bilaterally. The motor latency by cervical or lumbar magnetic stimulation was subtracted from the MEP cortical latency to obtain the central motor conduction time. The MEP amplitude from peak to peak to cortical stimulation and the interside difference of each measure were also calculated. Results: TMS revealed abnormal findings from both upper and lower limbs compatible with axonal damage and demyelination in six of them. Notably, a subclinical cervical spinal disease was detected before the occurrence of an overt CM in two patients, whereas TMS signs compatible with a CM of variable degree persisted despite surgery in all treated subjects. Conclusions: TMS can be viewed as an adjunct diagnostic test pending further rigorous investigations.


2004 ◽  
Vol 16 (9) ◽  
pp. 1605-1611 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sara Torriero ◽  
Massimiliano Oliveri ◽  
Giacomo Koch ◽  
Carlo Caltagirone ◽  
Laura Petrosini

Increasing evidence suggests cerebellar involvement in procedural learning. To further analyze its role and to assess whether it has a lateralized influence, in the present study we used a repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation interference approach in a group of normal subjects performing a serial reaction time task. We studied 36 normal volunteers: 13 subjects underwent repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation on the left cerebellum and performed the task with the right (6 subjects) or left (7 subjects) hand; 10 subjects underwent repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation on the right cerebellum and performed the task with the hand ipsilateral (5 subjects) or contralateral (5 subjects) to the stimulation; another 13 subjects served as controls and were not submitted to repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation; 7 of them performed the task with the right hand and 6 with the left hand. The main results show that interference with the activity of the lateral cerebellum induces a significant decrease of procedural learning: Interference with the right cerebellar hemisphere activity induces a significant decrease in procedural learning regardless of the hand used to perform the serial reaction time task, whereas left cerebellar hemisphere activity seems more linked with procedural learning through the ipsilateral hand. In conclusion, the present study shows for the first time that a transient interference with the functions of the cerebellar cortex results in an impairment of procedural learning in normal subjects and it provides new evidences for interhemispheric differences in the lateral cerebellum.


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